Perfect Flaw
by Nezumi's Cheese
Summary: A perfect and bland life was for Prince Naruto. However, his world goes upside-down when a rival kingdom initiates a successful siege against him. Now a servant to the other kingdom, he meets a young servant who is seemingly there for him...Naruhina.
1. The Siege

A Naruhina story. I'm so sorry about deleting my last story. I had no idea how to continue it or put it on paper. I won't delete this one, I swear.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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_The Beginning..._

"Your daily afternoon tea, Your Majesty." the servant said monotonously.

The prince did smiled in thanks though the brightness in his smile was fake. The servant gave a smile and left immediately.

Naruto was sick of this so-called "adoring and comfortable" life of his. Servants doing his bidding was to be a luxury for the prince but he found it robotic and empty as he saw each servant coming in punctual only to do their duty. They seemed to be perfect in their jobs, no flaws or anything. One may enjoyed that but he felt inferior to them. Maybe, he was only known perfect because of them. He depended too much on them. The military campaign was currently failing in the country. A hundred years of peace fared the kingdom in seemingly everlasting comfort but it also dulled their military skills. The rival kingdom, Land of Uchiha, was currently trying to take over once more. This time, much to the horror of the Land of Uzumaki, the rival seemed to be winning.

Naruto stared at the hot and dark tea as if studying it. He saw his reflection in the brown liquid. Somehow, his reflection started to flicker but stopped.

"It must be my imagination." he thought aloud as he raised the cup of tea and took a sip. Same, old, and bland tea.

_Something is to come._

Naruto put down his tea calmly and closed his eyes. "Kyuubi, may I please drink my tea in peace?"

_Naruto, it is urgent. That flicker in your tea is a sign of omen._

"Shall it be, Kyuubi, you know how much I hate it here." he answered, taking another sip of his tea. He could hear the demon growl.

_You know damn well that if you die, your father will be very sad and the kingdom is doomed._

The blond only smirked to himself and took another sip of his cordial. "And you're only worried that you will disappear. I been stuck here all my life and learning all of this elegance and shit."

_That may be true, Naruto, but something tells me that you haven't been playing much attention in your studies._

"Oh, what makes you say that?" Naruto said, putting his now empty cup down.

_The Uchiha has many ways to torture you to death once you are in their hands. If not death, then to madness._

His eyes did not seemed surprised when he heard this. "I would prefer pain over being answered 'yes' to every damn thing I say here. It gets bland and boring."

_You are going to regret this, Naruto._

"Heh, humor me." Naruto finally said, dismissing the demon inside of him. He got up and decided to wander in the castle, skipping his classes. Hopefully, Minato is not back yet from his military duties. His garden remained beautiful as usual due to his mother's care. "How I miss you, Mother."

He tenderly held the flowers for a couple of seconds before bowing in respect. His mother died from a plague. He did love his father and mother but their life of perfection was a bit too much.

"Your Majesty, the royal scholar is advising you to come now." The voice startled him from his thoughts. A servant. Bleh. A perfect servant.

It was always a fifty-fifty chance that he would successfully ditch his classes everyday. Today, it was lucky. The hours seemed to flew by as he hid from the scholar and servants looking for him to dinner then, sleep.

_Naruto, listen to me. Minato still has not returned. That is another bad sign. Jiraiya is worried._

The prince climbed in his bed effortlessly. "You worry too much, Kyuubi. The Pervy Sage's predictions and advice is not always right anyway, why should I care?"

_Naruto-_

"Night, Kyuubi."

Naruto was pulled harshly out of his pleasant dreams of simplicity and equality from people when a large bomb was heard. "What the hell?"

_I told you, Naruto. The castle is under siege._

"What?!" Naruto stumbled out of bed as he grabbed his sword out.

_It's no use, Naruto. All of the servants had scattered and not one came up to warn you._

"Shut up, Kyuubi! There's a reason why fencing and combat class was my favorite!" he growled out with determination. He rushed out in the hall which was disorganized. Part of him felt satisfied for the servants, for once, not being perfect. However, most of him was consumed by fear.

"Halt!" cried out a voice.

Gripping his sword tightly in battle stance, he turned around to face a guard, not from his kingdom but the other. Ignoring the empty command, he made short work of the guard and continued to slash his way to the throne room. Surely, his father must be back. Every room was in a wreck and reeked of dead bodies littered everywhere. Naruto paid no heed to this and grasped the doorknob to the throne room.

_You're too late Naruto…_

"W-what?" he gasped quietly through the small open crack. There was a dead body and two people discussing about something deeply. He could barely make out what they're saying.

"This land…belongs to us." said one man. "Minato isn't here to protect it. Good riddance."

"Father, was it really worth it take it?" asked the other in doubt.

"Of course, Sasuke. I always knew, sometime, I would beat Minato." answered the other man.

Naruto's eyes widen. That dead body….it was his father. Rage built inside him

_Naruto, let it out, make me free…._

The prince wasn't listening to care, though. He rushed in the room nearly surprising the two. Sasuke's father smirked and nudged Sasuke before whispering something in his ear. Sasuke nodded in understanding. Because of his anger, Naruto wasn't able to think thus it rendered his actions careless. It wasn't long until Sasuke had Naruto on his knees in desperation, blocking each blow of his sword. Finally, with a kick in the former prince's stomach, Naruto felt himself blacking out, fading away….

_Foolish young boy, anger and rage will be the death of you…._

That was the last words that Naruto heard from Kyuubi.

0.o.0.o.0

"Move, you piece of crap!" The cruel guard aimed another kick at Naruto's bruised side in the cell. "King Fugaku wishes to see you."

Groaning audibly, Naruto struggled to get up but found it rather difficult because of the guard's repetitive kicking. "Maybe I will if you stop sticking your foot up my ass."

"Why you-"

"That is enough." said another voice. Naruto instantly recognized him and turned angry once more.

"You!" the blond cried out angrily, pointing an angry finger at him. The guard kicked him harder.

"How dare you disrespect Prince Sasuke!"

Sasuke's eyes stayed distant but he raised his hand. The guard stopped kicking Naruto and roughly pulled him to his feet.

"Come, my father requests you to the throne room immediately." Sasuke said smoothly, gently pulling on Naruto's arm.

"What makes you think I'll listen to you?!"

All the guards' weapons were out and pointed threateningly at him. For a moment, Naruto wished for his past boring life but shook it away.

"Naruto, Jiraiya is in another cell. If you come with me, I'll allow you to see him."

"And if I don't?"

"He will be sent to the execution guillotine. He is the only relation you have to your former life as a prince." Sasuke replied emotionlessly. Naruto frowned before reluctantly agreeing.

Naruto took his time to notice all of the nice halls, making his stomach sick. Worst than before, his clothes were torn from fighting and now he was put in a place where all of his arch rival's servants look down upon. It seemed like an endless maze of rooms until finally, Sasuke's hand rested on a doorknob leading to his throne room.

"Father, Naruto is here." Sasuke said in respect, giving a curt bow. Fugaku looked up and nodded to Sasuke. Naruto noticed that another person was here. An older version of Sasuke? He also noticed the hate laced in Sasuke's eyes as he stared at his older brother. Problems at home, eh?

"Hello there, Prince of Land of Uzumaki. I'm sure that you're fully aware of your land's condition right now, correct?" Fugaku said pleasantly.

'Yes, I do. Because of your bastard of a fucking son beat the crap out of me. Then, you waltz happily to my father's throne and placed the stupid crown on your head like a fucking pansy, right?'' Naruto thought bitterly, gritting his teeth together. That was the answer the king needed.

"Alright, I had many relations with your father, Naruto. He was my rival but our kingdom is getting bigger so we needed more land. I had no choice but to claim yours since it was the closest. I had to kill Minato since he refused to move from his stead even with his castle under siege. I'm sorry for your loss." Fugaku's voice had no lace of sympathy. "However, I had to admit, your skills in combat and fencing is exceptional. Therefore, I'll make you a servant still but with higher privileges. You will have the privilege to talk to my youngest son, Sasuke. You will also have the privilege in accompanying Sasuke on every trip he goes on to care for him. May he use you to practice his training skills as well. I feel this could benefit both of you and my son."

"I understand, sir." Naruto answered. Well, at least, this was better than being treated like dirt.

"Yes, Father." Sasuke bowed down obediently.

"Ah yes, I'll have someone teach you the basics of servant duties as well." Fugaku announced. "Hinata, come forward."

A petite and pretty girl, at least in Naruto's senses, came meekly out. She blushed as Naruto stared at her and bowed in respect. "I will teach Naruto, Your Majesty."

She smiled at him in a caring way that no servant in his time did. He couldn't help but allow a slight smile to curl his lips.

For some unknown reason, Naruto felt that this servant is more than just a perfect robot. She was someone that he could acknowledge as a true "loyal" friend. Not one who just says "yes" to everything he says.

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So, this is my newest Naruhina story. Please review if you want me to continue!


	2. Adjusting

So, I'll continue this story. Remember, it's in the medieval times.

Disclaimer: I don't Naruto.

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"Out, OUT! You goddamn pervert!" cried a blond woman as she pushed a very ecstatic man out. Otherwise known as Jiraiya. The blond woman was a nurse with an abnormally large chest. Naruto's eye twitched behind Sasuke who led him to the hospital to fix his wounds from their previous fight.

"I told you I'll let you see him." Sasuke said flatly, unfazed by the outrageous and crazy sight before him. Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. The Pervy Sage tends to do that a lot." Naruto said with a nervous smile. Breaking out of his stupor, Jiraiya looked shocked when his eyes laid on the fallen prince.

"Hello, Pervy Sage." Naruto joked weakly. Jiraiya's face went serious and hard.

"Naruto…."

"Jiraiya, I thought…"

"I know, I should have known that you would have lived through this catastrophic ordeal. But Minato…."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding as he clenched his fist to prevent tears falling. He looked up with determination. "I know."

"What do you want?" Jiraiya's eyes and voice suddenly went cold and hard. Naruto blinked his eyes for a second, puzzled before he found out that the question was directed to Sasuke. Giving a curt nod towards the man, Sasuke answered quietly.

"My father wants to make Naruto my personal servant because of his skills with his sword." the raven-haired prince said in a short explanation. Naruto couldn't help but give a cheeky and arrogant grin to the other three. His hand went to his tattered belt before he gasped in shock.

"My sword?!" His hands frantically fled on his body looking for his trusty weapon. He glared at Sasuke. "You, what did you do to my sword?"

"I'll take you to the royal silversmith soon after. Tsunade," Sasuke turned to the aggressive blond woman, leaning on the door frame. "I hope you know-" Tsunade waved a dismissive hand to the prince which surprisingly didn't intimidate the guards. Must happen a lot or she knows him really well. "Yeah, I know. Fix him up, right?" "Exactly. I'll come in the next twenty minutes." Sasuke informed. Tsunade motioned Naruto over but when he was about to step in, he turned back.

"Wait, what will happen to Jiraiya?"

"He will be given a place of the royal scholars. His extensive knowledge in history and strategic expertise makes him exceptional. My father requests that. Do not worry, on rare breaks that scholars have, you may visit him." Sasuke waved off before leading Jiraiya. Naruto gave Jiraiya a parting glance before heading inside the medical building.

"So, you're the prince of the Land of the Uzumaki." she said simply and quietly. Naruto had a hunch she knew more than she let on. Tsunade then instructed the blond to sit on a nearby chair. Strolling over to the various medical equipment on a nearby table, she picked up a small spoon. She dipped in some exotic liquid before setting it back down. Tsunade turned back to him with her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Take off your shirt and pants please." Tsunade droned on a very bored tone. Naruto obediently complied to her request.

She prodded his stomach to check to see any abnormalities to his digestion system. However, she found this very difficult when something else caught her eye. The tattoo slapped on Naruto's stomach was quite a special one. In other words, it was a seal.

'Shiki Fuujin?' she thought in shock. She always heard rumors that the Kyuubi that once attacked their village was sealed in a baby. She always thought it was a very preposterous idea to imprison it in a baby. However, she never knew it to be true. Hiding her shock, she gruffly checked his throat before getting the needle again. Naruto broke the obvious silence with a hesitant question.

"So, umm, I guess you know a lot about medical training, don't you?" Naruto gulped slightly as he eyed the long and slender spoon in Tsunade's hand. She turned back at him with a glare.

"What does it look like?"

Naruto smiled and let out a sheepish laugh as he swung his legs in a jerky motion. The nurses from before always looked soft and hesitant before carrying out the necessary processes. However, this woman was different. "I mean, you seemed to know a lot about what you're doing. The ones back at home always ask me if I was okay and alerts me what's next so I'd watch for it but you do things without any questions."

"It's just the way I do my work, Naruto." Tsunade replied without hesitation. She walked near him. Unfortunately, the next thing that popped out of Naruto's mouth threw her off.

"You must've studied a lot. That means you probably spend your life studying and training." Naruto said quietly, astonished.

'What's wrong with this kid?' she thought before giving out a soft grunt in response.

"How old are you, Tsunade? I think you're more older than you look." Naruto commented, not knowing it was the wrong thing to the say. The WRONG thing.

"Well Naruto, I would say one thing. I'm not that old." Tsunade said between her gritted teeth as she clutched on the handle of the spoon harder. Naruto gave her a comfortable smile back in response.

"Oh no, I mean, the way you talk and speak in that wise way also gives away your true age. You must have used some beauty potion to make you look younger than you are." Naruto said, Tsunade's top blew off as she struggled to resist the urge to punch the hell out of him.

"Oh, well I don't remember using any beauty potions, Naruto." Tsunade sneered, making Naruto tense up suddenly. "Time for your shot."

She jammed the spoon harder in his throat than Naruto expected. He gagged a bit to get his swallowing back to normal. Tears threaten to fall as he swallowed thickly in his throat. She turned around abruptly and set the empty spoon on the table.

"You're done. Sasuke should be coming to pick you up." she said bluntly, apparently still insulted by his offensive comment.

He winced at the pain shooting through throat as he put on his shirt and pants back on. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"The pain should go away in twenty minutes." she said simply but Naruto's hand did not budge. "The liquid I injected you with has a speedy healing process."

"Really? None of the nurses back home has that." Naruto said brightly and interested. Tsunade let out a mental sigh.

'Your nurses didn't have it because they didn't need it.' she thought in truth as she inspected the angry and red wound on Naruto's shoulder which began to heal at an abnormal speed.

"You want to know what's my secret ingredient?" she offered with a smirk. "It's slug juice. The liquid that the slug left behind. I cultivated it so its natural healing power would be pushed to the maximum."

She couldn't help but laughed as Naruto's face slowly paled. He was much more enjoyable than Sasuke. As Sasuke's birth maid, Tsunade couldn't help but felt that it was one of the most boring years of her life. Even when the raven-haired prince was a baby, he rarely cried and would stare at her for hours with his deep onyx eyes. When he was a kid, he only participated in his studies and fighting ability. Sasuke was an overachiever, simply. However, Tsunade highly doubt that Naruto was ever like that in his younger years of his life.

Annoying the nurse with a few more offensive comments, there was a quiet knock on the door. The door opened to reveal not Sasuke, but a servant.

"Hinata, what are you doing here? Where's Sasuke?" Tsunade leaned a lazy hand on the table as he questioned the petite servant. Naruto also turned in her direction causing her to look down shyly as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Umm, Prince Sasuke is currently busy with some other issues." she stuttered; she was careful not to meet Naruto's eyes. "He send me to get N-Naruto. Naruto is to go to the silversmith right after. H-He also wanted me to teach him the basics of the servant duties."

Rolling her eyes at the unnecessary stuttering of the poor girl, she waved Naruto out. Naruto went up from the chair and quickly followed to get away from the scary woman. As soon the two were out of sight, Tsunade sighed and slumped in another nearby chair.

"The Kyuubi, huh?" she mumbled to herself quietly. "I guess you were right, Jiraiya. I promise to help him, then. Another visit to the hospital ought to do it. I'll help him control his mental stability. Then."

This is a very big job but can be very successful at the same time. However, controlling the boy's evident wild emotions would be no easy task either.

0.o.0.o.0.

Once again, the endless halls met Naruto cruelly as he followed the pale girl in and out of each hall. Finally, she reached a door which lead to, not the silversmith's, but the outside. She beckoned Naruto to follow as she led him to an old wood house with an oversized chimney. She knocked on the door quietly with two knocks but received no answer. The silversmith probably couldn't hear her again over the clanking metal. Sighing, she opened the door without the silversmith's consent.

"Hello, Tenten." she greeted pleasantly. A Chinese girl covered with coal dust from head to toe looked up and smiled in response before putting her new work away. She grabbed a cloth lying on the table to wipe the dust off her hands, arms, and face. Naruto nodded his head in greeting as well.

"Hello, Hinata. What brings you here?" Tenten asked. She then turned to Naruto. "Who's he?"

"Well, you know, t-the successful siege that His Majesty raid on?" Hinata said, nervous about the uncomfortable situation she placed Naruto in. Tenten's eyes widened in remembrance.

"The fallen prince, Naruto?!" she exclaimed, instead of insulting him, the next thing she said was unexpected. "You're Naruto?! I must say, who is your silversmith? He must be very talented to forge a sword like yours!"

Naruto shuffled his feet slightly and laughed to lift his uneasiness. He scratched his head. "Well, my father forged it at my prince coronation as a birth gift." The girl's eyes that once held excitement dimmed down. "Oh, sorry." She scratched the back of her leg with her foot. "I didn't mean to poke you in that subject."

"It's alright. I kind of already accepted it anyway." Naruto replied in understanding. Suddenly, he felt his Kyuubi stir once more. Apparently, the anger he shown toward Sasuke wasn't enough to unlock the gates of the seal. Instead, all of the wounds inflicted on the blond prince, also weakened Kyuubi as well.

_Ugh, Naruto, you've really done it this time._

'Well, this place has been okay so far.' he thought back as he watched Hinata and Tenten chat idly for a bit.

_I was so close to-_

'To freeing yourself. Well, you fail. That's that.' He carelessly waved off the lamenting of his demon. Tenten turned towards him.

"Naruto?" Tenten tugged on his torn and orange shirt. Naruto reared his head towards her in attention. She went behind the table and kneeled down. She pulled out a gleaming silver sword. It flickered with light when the sun's rays hit it. Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"My sword!" he cried out. He took a step toward his beloved weapon of defense.

Tenten examined the sword closely as she put one finger on the blade in admiration. She held it straight up and went toward the door of the house. She beckoned the other two with her to follow her with a hand. Gripping the sword grip which seemed too big for her, she went toward a clump of hay which could only be a test dummy for target and sword practice. Getting ready in battle stance, she raised the sword over her head and brought it down. The only sound heard was the slicing of the hay stack. Hinata and Tenten were amazed by the stunning result for the sword had cut the stack neatly in half with ease.

"Such a beautiful weapon…." she trailed off in awe before shaking her head. "Too bad that throwing weapons are my specialty."

She handed the sword back to its true owner. Naruto nearly gasped in delight upon the reunion with his sword. The grip and weight embraced him as the true wielder. He turned toward Tenten with obvious glee and smile in thanks. The silversmith only nodded in thanks. She turned back to Hinata.

"His Majesty's orders was to engrave the seal of the Uchiha upon this fine sword's blade. Unfortunately, I couldn't without ruining the blade since the silver and steel had been carefully and precisely measured together by the previous sword maker. Ugh, His Majesty wasn't too happy with it." Tenten muttered as she shook her head. "So, Prince Sasuke had me give the sword to you as soon as you arrive here. He said that you could keep it as long you don't cause any trouble with it. If you do, the sword will be taken away and melted, just to keep your hands off of it."

"Harsh." was all Naruto could say. However, the threat became empty when his little joyful reunion washed it away. He slipped his sword in his torn belt.

"Well, we have to get going, Tenten. It was pleasant seeing you." she said in a polite tone. She and Naruto began to walk away. Tenten waved and was about to go back into the house until she thought of something else. Cupping her hands, she yelled something out to Hinata.

"Say hello to Neji for me!!" she cried out through cupped hands.

Hinata laughed back in response and turned the door knob to the castle again. Naruto gave her a questioned look.

"Who's Neji?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. This Neji…he's not in any way in a relationship with Hinata, is he?" "He's my cousin." she replied softly before leading him to another door. She opened it to reveal three boys talking idly. There was one more boy but he was currently fast asleep.

"Hello." she called out. The one of the boys looked at her in familiarity before waving back amiably. Hinata turned back to Naruto. "This is where you'll going to be staying at. This room is enough to fit six people so umm…there should be enough room."

"Oh, all right." he said and smiled in gratefulness. Hinata could only look down to her now flushed face. A boy raised his head up and turned toward the two. He pointed to Naruto.

"Hey, who's he?" he nearly yelled out, gathering the attention of the other two. They all stared at Naruto. The former prince let out a nervous laugh. Thankfully, Hinata spoke for him.

"Well, remember the new special servant for Prince Sasuke? He will be living in your quarters, Kiba." she replied quietly. Kiba hopped off the bed and circled Naruto like a vulture. Much to Naruto's surprise, Kiba sniffed him before smiling back at him.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto." he greeted back. Naruto couldn't help but smile. Then, another boy went towards him. This boy had jet-black hair and black spectacles.

"He's going to be staying with us in those clothes?" commented the boy. Hinata let out a short musical laugh.

"No, I-I'm just introducing him to you first before getting him dressed up, Shino." she answered good-naturedly.

"I don't really care who stays here anyway as long as they don't bother me." chimed another boy who was currently lying on the bed lazily. Kiba rolled his eyes at his laziness.

"Eh, don't mind Shikamaru. He was like that when he came here and will be like that till he dies." Kiba muttered. "The fat one asleep is Choji. He likes to eat a lot and sleep after. Don't worry, he isn't bad."

"Oh, okay. Well, it's nice to meet you all." he announced with a determined smile. Pulling gently on his arm, she pulled him to the next door room where other servants eyed Naruto in disgust.

"He needs new clothes. H-He's Sasuke's new private servant." she announced shyly, ignoring the disgusted looks raining down upon them. One brave servant came up to them and handed him a pack of cloth but quickly went away after. The pack contained a two simple orange tunics, a long-sleeved white shirt, another long-sleeved but tan shirt, two pairs of tights or pants, a leather belt and a simple pair of shoes. Naruto noticed that the regular servants like Kiba had the same style clothes as his but their tunic was a different color. All of their tunics were brown. Well, his must be different on purpose.

Leading him to another room, this room was stale but was damp as Naruto noticed. There was a wall and behind it was a huge bath full of water.

"Prince Sasuke would want his servants to be clean unlike other kingdoms. He makes them take a bath twice a month. **(1)**" she said quietly before turning away. "I-I'll wait outside, go outside when you're done. I-I'll tell you your next steps."

Her face flushed as she took an awkward step outside. Naruto sighed and removed his torn garments. He nearly gasped in surprise as the unexpected cold water greeted him. Well, these are servant baths anyway. Getting used to the new temperature, he lie against the table in thought.

_You really want to stay here?_

"I didn't necessarily say that, Kyuubi. Besides, I think there's a lot more surprises and interesting things here." he answered smugly and let out a low chuckle upon hearing Kyuubi's aggravated groan.

_Don't you miss your father's land?_

Naruto's smile slightly faltered upon that question. "Maybe, I don't know. If I do, the chances of me getting back that land are very slim."

_You have me, though._

The faltered smile turned into a straight and serious line. "You know I want to avoid using that deadly power of yours at all costs."

_Naruto, think about it. I watched over you and my power is still bubbling inside me, inside you. It wants to get out. Besides, it makes you more stronger than you are right now._

"If there is something that I learn from my father, he told me not to use your power until I master it. Jiraiya said that if I use it too soon-"

_He said that you will not be able to control it, right? But, think about it, the rival prince was able to beat you, wouldn't it help if you use my power?_

"Yes, it would Kyuubi." Naruto's eyes slowly narrowed to slits. He then added darkly, "Don't tempt me."

_Quite stubborn are you-_

"Well, I been spending some time here and I have change." Naruto's attitude went from dark and serious to light and happy, effectively cutting off Kyuubi for a time being.

Putting his clothes in a fast fashion and setting his weapon in his new belt, he met up with Hinata in a nick of time. Hinata led him back to the quarters.

"Well, umm, your job is like any other servant. You just have to deliver things around the castle." she said with a smile. "N-not too hard, right? "

Naruto's face paled at this job. No, he does not want to do this. How will he locate each damn room in this fat-ass maze of a castle?! "Umm, I don't exactly know the directions around here."

Kiba came over and slapped a hand on Naruto's back. "Hell, that's the part that we take care of. Oi, Shino, you got the same job as him, right? You do the leading. The rest of us will fill in all the other little gaps and details!"

Shino's spectacles sparkled as he nodded quietly at the suggestion. However, Naruto couldn't tell if he was either happy about his additional and new job or sulking about it. Hinata led him inside and looked around before sighing.

"Someone hasn't been cleaning." she sighed before leading Naruto to a simple and dusty bed in the corner.

"This is where you'll be sleeping." she said before dusting it off a little with her two hands. Her mouth curved into a soft smile. "I'll take you to Prince Sasuke's room. You must know where his room is. That is also another one of your first priorities." Leading him out of the quarters, she led him to a room which had bigger doors. Naruto panted when they finally reached their destination. God, how many damn stairs are there in this castle?! More than Naruto's, more like it.

Hinata knocked quietly on Sasuke's door. A faint "come in" was heard from the other side. She and Naruto entered the grand room of luxury, reminding Naruto of his own room. Sasuke turned towards them. His face looked angry or more defined, annoyed.

"So, I'm assuming that Naruto is here for his special servant duties?" he asked calmly to cover his aggravation. Naruto couldn't see what's wrong with Sasuke.

"Yes, Prince Sasuke." she bowed in respect before taking her leave for the door, leaving the two alone.

"I didn't ask for this." Sasuke muttered before turning back to his papers.

"Why didn't you object to your father, then?" Naruto asked as if on cue. Naruto saw Sasuke's back stiffen before the raven-haired boy turned back to him.

"I don't want to disrespect him. My life has been miserable enough."

"Right." Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes. "So, you actually want your father to control your life?"

Sasuke's eyes went indignant with rage at this insult. "He does control some part of my life but not all of it. He thinks I'M a nobody!"

"Gosh, you poor thing, want me to get you anything?" the blond prince mocked teasingly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes before beckoning him over.

"I do want to know one thing about you though." he began quietly. "Why do you seem so free and resistant even when your kingdom fall?"

Naruto stood up and puffed his chest smugly and brimming confidence with a grin. "Because, I know that I'm strong and I follow my path to greatness. And this is my story! I decide what happens to me!" Sasuke let out a "hn" in response. "That was the same thing you said ten years ago."

Naruto blinked his eyes in confusion. "W-what?"

"The Harvest Festival that all four kingdoms went to. The Land of Haruno, Uchiha, Uzumaki, and the Sand. We met when we were little kids. And there was this one kid who bounced off the walls and annoyed the hell out of the elders. I vaguely remember the words that you said but I'm pretty sure that kid was you." he explained, still keeping his emotionless look.

Naruto's confused face slowly turned one into remembrance. "Oh, I remember. I loved it! It was so fun!"

"I wouldn't call it 'fun' after you scared the living daylights out of an elder after surprising them with one of those spirit masks that is said to contain good fortune."

"I still have that mask." Naruto's voice then dropped to a dark murmur. "Until it was burned and ruined at the siege."

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk before lifting up his papers, sighing.

"What's that?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"Death proposals." he muttered. "It's marriage proposals from the Land of Haruno. They want me to marry their princess. Sakura. I don't want to, though."

"Why's that? She was awfully sweet, the last time that I remember her."

Sasuke's eyes turned ablaze. "She is so annoying! It has been two years ever since I was thirteen! They send me these marriage proposals each friggin' month! I don't want to marry her, I don't know her, I don't like her, and I don't CARE!!"

"Why can't you say that you don't want to marry her?"

"She's a strong healer but a very stubborn and persistent suitor of mine. She won't stop until she has me!"

Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the poor target of Sakura's affections. In a way, he was awfully glad that Hinata wasn't like that. Ripping up the papers and dropping them in a seemingly full trashcan (full of other rejected marriage proposals, Naruto presume), he focused all of his attention on Naruto.

"If you are wondering about your duties, you are responsible for delivering all of my mail, accompanying me on trips along with Hinata, delivering anything I request, and most of all, being my battle partner." he informed Naruto in a serious tone. With a dismissive hand, Sasuke pointed to the door. "You may leave right now. I'll call you whenever I need you."

Naruto could sense Sasuke's uneasiness. Rolling his eyes, Naruto could tell that Sasuke wasn't used to the whole "personal servant" or in other words, "personal bodyguard." That was another reason why Sasuke seemed irritated.

Recalling his previous steps, he found his way back to the quarters, much to his relief. These servant duties are going more harder than he thought.

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1. Yes, in the medieval times, they didn't take alot of baths.

Well, that's another chapter!! Review, please!


	3. Twisted

Damn, sorry for the long wait! I went on a trip with some of my friends for a week and was so fucking tired for two weeks. I literally had to drag my sorry ass to the computer and update. I really need to work on this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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"No! The fork goes here. Ugh, you are a slow learner!" hissed a servant as she slapped Naruto's hands when he put the fork on the wrong side of a plate. Again.

"Umm, Michiko? I think that's enough." called out a timid voice. Hinata, much to Naruto's relief, saved him from the wrath of the bossy servant. "His Majesty calls you to his quarters once more."

'More like his prison.' Naruto thought bitterly. Handing the wretched fork back to the servant, he nearly skipped towards Hinata.

By this time, after one month of staying here, Naruto learned more of the castle and discovered some interesting things. Kiba was in charge of taking care of the king's hunting dogs. The perfect job. Shikamaru was a scholar in training. Neji was also one of the top servants of the castle like Hinata. Choji was one of the royal chef's servants. Naruto wondered how the chef tamed the food beast. Shino was in charge of keeping the royal gardens in tact and clean. Even though he was ordered to terminate any living creatures who dare harm the garden, the servant confided to Naruto that he was simply 'moving them somewhere else away from the gardens.' Therefore, he wasn't hurting the insects and was keeping the gardens safe. Naruto also heard a rumor from Kiba that Shino was taking care of some insects _in his own living and breathing body._ That was….disturbing but Naruto was sure it wasn't true.

Hinata lead him through the halls which now seemed harmless. Banners bearing the Uchiha insignia were everywhere. Finally, they stopped and twisted a doorknob. King Fugaku smiled pleasantly at both of them.

"Ah, thank you, Hinata." the king said, giving her a short nod. Hinata bowed before leaving the room.

"Why have you called me here?" Naruto asked, truly ungrateful that he had to see this wretched man again.

_I thought you said that you're over the 'incident' already. Tch, so much for recovery, Naruto._

'Shut it, Kyuubi.' Naruto thought back darkly.

"Well, Naruto. You are looking quite pleasant today. It has been one month and I wanted to see how you've been doing. As my sources have told me, you got along quite nicely with the other low servants." the king commented with another smile.

Naruto forced a smile. "That's true. I wouldn't say that they're low servants. You should treat them all equal."

Fugaku widened his eyes in interest. "Oh? Naruto, you were once a prince yourself, weren't you? It would be only natural for royalty to treat the servants with the respect they deserve. The servants ARE of lower rank, are they not, Naruto?"

"Of course, forgive me." Naruto gave him a stiff bow then thought, 'These 'servants' are the reason your castle hasn't fall apart yet.'

_In a way, Fugaku is right. It's the only way of putting the servants in place. How do you think servants would react if they found out that they're the support of the social pyramid? They would laugh and would take control of the higher statuses. It would be the end of control and everything would land in chaos. It would have been the death of you if your servants found out. Luckily, with threats and reasoning laws, the truth is masked nicely._

"You seemed to be getting fairly well with my son, Sasuke as well." Fugaku said. "It's about time Sasuke has a good playmate. Is it not?"

The king laughed heartily at his own joke. Naruto was disgusted. That king dare talk ill of his own son?

"I still wonder why you've called me here." Naruto spoke out. Fugaku stopped laughing and nodded.

"Ah yes, almost forgot. Well, since you have a bond with Sasuke, I was wondering….Might you help me do some persuading?"

"Depending what it might be."

"Well, you see, it is in high time that Sasuke finds a wife. Since you are a friend to him and all, I thought that he might listen to you?"

Naruto stiffened; Sasuke told him clearly that he did not want to find a bride. Of course, Naruto dare not tell his father. Instead, he bowed before the king. "Everything is in good hands."

"Thank you, Naruto."

As soon as Naruto disappeared, Fugaku summoned a servant. "Naruto is quite a loyal servant, isn't he?"

"Most assuredly, Your Majesty." the servant answered. However, the servant wasn't sure about Naruto's abnormal loyalty and fast adaptation to his new surroundings.

"I do hope that it stays that way." Fugaku commented before he let the servant go.

The blond left the room and dropped to the floor. He buried his head between his knees. Everything keeps getting more complicated. Damn it.

"Naruto?"

He looked up to see someone staring at him. "Pervy Sage?"

"Why are you sitting here? Aren't you supposed to be working right now?" the puzzled scholar asked with an eyebrow raised up. Naruto stood up.

"Aren't YOU supposed to be working right now?" Now, Naruto was suspicious.

"W-Well, I took a little detour to the-" Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before laughing.

Naruto stared at him before pointing. "Is that a bruise on your cheek?" Before he could stopped himself, the former prince prodded the purple-shaded spot on Jiraiya's cheek.

"Oww, d-don't touch that."

"What in god's forsaken name did you do?!" Naruto nearly cried out.

"Hehe, doing a little research, that is all."

"Doing research, you fool?! Did you 'wander' in the servant bathing quarters?!" he shouted in anger and frustration. Jiraiya quickly looked back and forth before putting his finger to his lips.

"Shh….not so loud. The servants might find me."

"Pfft, see if I care, Pervy Sage." Naruto whipped his head in an arrogant way before turning to leave. "I bid you good day, Jiraiya. The other scholars must be terribly angry right now."

Ignoring Jiraiya's protests, Naruto made a turn down the hall. Running a hand through his sun-kissed hair, Naruto walked towards his next destination. Sasuke's room. So, Sasuke's room was….where was it again? Naruto mentally kicked himself as he cursed under his breath. He stopped by an intersection of two stairways. Was it the right or the left?

_It's the left, you fool. You been here for one month and you're still not able to get it right. You told Hinata that you finally learned the way._

"Right." Naruto stepped up the long staircase to the left. He made another left turn until he saw the famous huge double doors. Minding the last of his few sorry manners, he knocked on the door twice. The soft "come in" emit faintly from the other side, giving Naruto the cue to come in.

"Oh, it's you again." Sasuke said simply with a blank face. Naruto put on a comfortable smile before slapping Sasuke's back once.

"A proper greeting might be nice, Sasuke." Naruto commented smugly before pulling out a nearby chair. "So, I have something that I have been ordered to talk to you about."

"Oh, what's that?" Sasuke asked now intrigued. The raven-haired boy turned his chair towards Naruto. The servant shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his face turned from light and happy to dark and serious.

"I've actually been ordered to talk about your…." Naruto hesitated and took a deep breath. "To put it into simple words, your father is trying to get you to considered a bride."

"So, that is the next trick up his sleeve. Quite obvious that this is Father's work." Sasuke said quietly. He gazed out towards the window as if thinking. Taking deep breaths, Sasuke turned back towards Naruto.

"Please tell Hinata to pack our bags." the prince said finally. He turned back to his table and took out a quill and a piece of paper. Dipping the quill in a nearby ink pad, he began to write. His hand flew across the paper in a frantic motion. Naruto got up from his chair, puzzled. What was going on?

"Sasuke, may I ask? What are you doing?"

"Four days from now if they give us their consent which I'm quite sure they will, we shall take our leave." Sasuke replied, eyes not leaving the paper. "I did not think we had to do this but I guess we have to."

The quill stopped and the paper was lifted up. Sasuke glanced through it quickly before getting a small ladle of hot wax in a nearby pot. Naruto saw this ritual before. This was how royalty signed their papers. The ladle spilled a bit on the bottom of the paper. Sasuke put the ladle back into the pot before pressing his fist against it. At least, it looked like he was but the prince was actually stamping into the wax with his ring. The royal insignia showed on the wax and dried quickly. Sasuke rolled the paper up and handed it to Naruto. "Give this to my father."

"W-what?"

"We are to depart four days from now."

"Who is 'they', Sasuke?"

"I never wanted to go back there again. However, I guess I must. My days from the last visit to now were numbered anyway."

"Where?" Naruto asked puzzled.

"Back to the Land of Haruno. Sakura is not the most best person I could ask for but she has my highest bid on marrying of all the other ladies. I know her the most."

"We are visiting Princess Sakura?" Naruto said shocked. He thought that Sasuke didn't like her.

"Sadly yes. That is my move. If I am to reach my goal, I must make my own sacrifices. And this is one of them." Sasuke spelled out. Naruto's mouth tugged into a smile before giving a mock salute.

"Very well. I understand." Naruto nodded his head before turning the doorknob. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "What is it?"

"Don't end up as a pawn."

"Right, right, Sasuke." However in truth, he had no clue what Sasuke meant.

He walked back down the staircase.

_Why don't you take advantage of Sasuke's distraction to his father and brother? Manipulate him to force his father to give back your land. Pretend to be his friend and help him while in reality, you are studying him to find his forte._

"Shut it." Naruto dismissed the Kyuubi with a wave of a hand. He made a left turn before bumping into someone. He found himself falling backwards and saw a barrage of books coming towards him. "Ugh, that hurt."

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" apologized a new voice. Naruto rubbed his head before looking up; he stiffened. Itachi?"

"Yes. Here, let me help you gather these books." They both squatted down and picked up the fallen books.

"So, you are the famous Naruto, are you not?" Itachi asked curtly.

"You are speaking to him." Naruto answered with a nod.

"Tell me something Naruto." Itachi's eyes held no emotion nor motive that Naruto could see. "Does Sasuke…talk about me?"

For all Naruto knew about Itachi from Sasuke, Itachi was no better from Fugaku perhaps even worse, since he was next in line and did nothing to help Sasuke from his abuse. "Not really."

"Do not lie, Naruto. I am not a fool. He did and what did he say?" Itachi grabbed Naruto's arm roughly before looking at him cruelly in the eyes.

"Why is it that you want to know?" Naruto retorted back. Wrong thing to say. Wrong thing.

"You dare question me? Do I not have the right to know about my brother? For as long as the gods announced it, I believe Sasuke is NOT your brother, am I correct?" Itachi hissed. Naruto fought back the urge of cowering away from the hard glare.

"Sasuke said…..you are his brother…" Naruto mentally pat himself on the back, knowing that this was useless yet true information. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the ecstatic blond before releasing him.

"Tch, child's play. I bid you good day, Naruto. You better get back to your duties." Itachi gave him a curt nod and walked away. Victory goes to Naruto. What is wrong with Itachi anyway?

Naruto went back on track to his destination. The guards let him pass and he went inside the room. It was a bit rude to be barging in but Naruto could care less. King Fugaku looked surprised before smiling pleasantly or was he smirking?

"Ah, Naruto. So, how did it go?" the king asked. Naruto held up the letter between his fingertips. He waved it in a taunting way.

"I wouldn't say bad nor would I say well." Naruto commented back. The servants and guards in the room whispered in disgust at the rebellious attitude. He took no heed to it. He walked up without permission and handed the letter to the king. Fugaku skimmed through it before nodding.

"Sasuke has my permission. Oh, do tell Sasuke to give Sakura and her father my best regards." With a wave of a hand, the king clapped his hands. A guard came forward.

"Sir!" the guard said in attention.

"Began preparing three horses immediately." the king announced firmly.

"Sir!" The guard bowed before walking briskly out of the room.

"Thank you, Naruto. Will it be just you, my son, and Hinata?"

"I am not sure. Sasuke has not announced it." Naruto said firm.

"All right. I will ask him myself at dinner. You are excused."

Naruto left the room with a sigh and began to walk back to his quarters. He stared at the floor as he walked in thought until he bumped into yet another person. "Oh sorry."

"N-Naruto?" Naruto looked up to see Hinata carrying a neat stack of clothes.

"Oh, hello, Hinata."

"Is there something wrong? You seemed really tired today." she asked concerned. She put a hand on his forehead. Naruto nearly blushed at the contact. Her hand was soft and warm, reminding him of his own mother. Sweet and loving. He nearly forgot where he was going. "No fever, definitely something is wrong."

"Sasuke is going in a complex state again. It is making nervous." Naruto explained before glancing at the stack of clothes. "Are you washing those?"

"Yes, I have to pack them away in the servant quarters." Hinata explained before cocking her head to the side. "Why did you ask?"

"Oh, just wondering." Naruto answered with a smile, glad to change the subject. "Oh, speaking of packing, Sasuke is planning a trip to the Land of Haruno."

"Land of Haruno? You must be mistaken, there is no way Sasuke ever wanted to plan a trip there out of his own free will." Hinata was baffled. Sasuke wants to visit that place? That's a change.

"I am quite sure that he said Land of Haruno." Naruto replied, scratching his head. Hinata blinked twice before beaming back.

"All right. I will start the preparations immediately." She put a hand on her face. "Oh dear, this will also mean that Sakura will enter her berserk stance again. "

"Well, it would be nice to see her again. We were childhood friends anyway." Naruto closed his eyes and cracked his neck. "I have to head back to the servant quarters. I'll see you again."

0.o.0.o.0.o.0

Dinner was quiet for the Uchiha family despite the almost inaudible chattering and whispers around the table. Sasuke dare not look up and focused on cutting his red meat on his plate. His face blank and empty. He wanted to act naïve by sending a letter of permission to his father so he wouldn't get on his father's bad side nor Itachi. He knew that his father would accept his choice anyway.

"You are awfully quiet, Sasuke?" Fugaku patted Sasuke on the back. "So, I heard that you planned a trip to Land of Haruno."

"Yes, Father. It is in high time I see _her _again."

"Why the sudden change of heart, Sasuke? I thought you did not like her." Itachi chimed in as he put his fork down.

"I was starting to get a bit lonely around here." A lie. A total lie.

"Oh? That's a new one. What about Naruto?" Father, you poke too much.

"I am lacking in female companionship. Naruto isn't enough. I want someone as an equal." Another lie.

"I'm glad. You've finally realized the dire need of a spouse. However, are you going alone with only Hinata and Naruto?"

"One guard who knows the way would be nice. It never hurts to be extra careful."

"All right then. I'll send you one right away."

"Yes, Father." All I want is respect, please Father, what do I have to do to be accepted?

After the dinner, the family went separate ways back to their homes. Sasuke and Itachi went back to bed. However, the king stayed up. He summoned a guard.

"So, when I requested for a guard to help my son on his trip, you volunteered. I never saw you before. Who are you?"

"Just someone who wants to help, Your Majesty." the guard answered. Fugaku narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Who is this person?

"Where is your badge?" challenged Fugaku. The guard smirked and shined the gleaming copper badge on his coat. Fugaku relaxed a bit before taking a deep breath.

"I'll give you a chance then. You have my permission and the dire safety of my son in your hands." Fugaku sighed then dismissed the guard with the wave of a hand. "You are dismissed."

"You have my utmost gratitude and loyalty." The guard bowed before leaving the throne room. Fugaku stiffened a bit before relaxing.

"Gratitude? That guard must be speaking nonsense. I'll make sure he has a possible death sentence over his head, just in case." Fugaku rolled his eyes and stood up to leave himself.

0.o.0.o.0.o

"Hey, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"By any chance, do you have any books on the Land of Haruno?"

This time, Shikamaru sat up, intrigued. "When did you get so hooked up on that kingdom?"

"I am to go on a trip with Sasuke and Hinata to that kingdom." Naruto explained tiredly. Dinner was quite bland. Fried fish for meals were not exactly a luxury. "I was wondering how long does it take to get there."

"About four days through your former kingdom which is the fastest way." answered the lazy boy as if on prompt.

"You lucky duck." Choji commented. "Heard that they have an abundance of crops all year round. Imagine how much food they have!"

Naruto and the others rolled their eyes and laughed heartily.

"Thank you." Naruto replied gratefully. The six chatted for a while before the signal came for lights out. **(A/N: Ugh, the trip went in and over my head with this sentence)**

_Hmm, this Sakura, wasn't she the one who held on to Sasuke like a bloodsucker at the Harvest Festival? Yes, I remember her quite well._

'She is quite pretty and sweet. I cannot see the reason why Sasuke hates her so much. He should give her a chance.' Naruto pondered back. He laughed mentally when he heard the Kyuubi grumbled in agreement and response.

_Naruto, should and how it will be for you?_

'Ugh, not that talk again, Kyuubi.'

_Don't run away now. You still have a quest to complete. Do you not? You sunk to one of the most lowest ranks, low enough to make your father cry in despair yet you do nothing about it. You are a failure._

'Shut up!' Naruto was getting angry. Kyuubi's taunts echoed loudly through his head which only provoked him further. "SHUT UP!"

"Huh, that you Naruto?" Shikamaru rubbed his eyes lazily. Choji groaned loudly in annoyance as he slowly sat up.

"Keep it down, Naruto." Kiba and Shino both snapped unison. "If there is one thing we cannot stand, it is you parading your ego at night."

"N-no, it's not like that. I-"

"Had a nightmare?"

"No, it isn't like that."

"Whatever, just leave us be at night, please?"

They slammed themselves back into bed and it wasn't long before snores began to arise.

'It is all your fault, Kyuubi.' Naruto snarled in indignation.

_I wasn't the one who did the howling though, Naruto. That was your idea._

Naruto groaned quietly and turned on his straw-pellet bed. "Good night, Kyuubi."

Four Days Later….

Heavy bags were lifted onto the horses with ease as Hinata helped Sasuke put on his royal coat. They sighed and looked up to the sky for a moment. The sky was clear as it always has been. However, Hinata thought of something else. Through her years of serving, she notices something. She closed her eyes and muttered a saying under her breath. "The sky is a measurement of one's emotion. Though it seems untouchable, happy, and pure, it can be easily darkened to one of the most darkest days ever by one's sorrow or uncontrollable emotion. Sasuke…you blacken that sky for all of us…"

She stopped and looked up. Naruto was busy helping with one of the servants with a piece of luggage. The servant girl smiled and blushed before finishing her saying. "Yet, a light shines through the darkness, signifying the hope left in us. I never want to see that light go out. Naruto…."

"Are all of you ready?" Sasuke asked as he walked towards the horses. Naruto and Hinata both turned and nodded. A guard appeared from behind one of the horses.

"I was ordered by your father to accompany you, Prince Sasuke." the guard explained, giving him a bow. He turned and faced Naruto. Naruto blinked at the guard. However, all he received in return was a nod from the mysterious person.

"All right. I requested one anyway. Let us ride." Sasuke nodded and climbed onto his horse. The other three began to ride as well.

"I almost forgot to ask you, you do know how to ride a horse?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Of course I do!" Naruto retorted, insulted. A prince or any member of royalty should be able to ride a horse.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata rode together while the guard stayed in the back. The three chatted during the way.

"I do wonder how Sakura is faring right now." Hinata pondered as she looked up towards the sky.

"Must squealing like a piglet for my arrival." Sasuke muttered, earning a chortle from Naruto. "Ah yes, Naruto. We'll be passing through your former kingdom in two days. Is that…"

"Have no worries. It's okay." Naruto looked down. Fear for humiliation rose through his body.

_How will the villagers acknowledge you now, I dearly wonder. Just look straight ahead and lock them away from your mind. It might seem cold but it is the only way to save yourself from the suffering of the villagers who now supposedly hate you._

'I know. Their once former heir of the kingdom sunk to the rank of a dog of the rival kingdom.' Naruto thought but he tighten the reins, trying to stop thinking about it. "I'm still okay. That is all that matters."

"Naruto…"

Two days of resting and riding passed. The outskirts of the kingdom began to show up. Naruto bit his lip and looked forward. The guard patted him on the back out of sympathy. The villagers gasped and pointed as they saw their former beloved prince. Some clicked their tongue and looked away in disgust at their prince's state. His valiant death might be a better alternative for them instead of this.

"Poor Naruto…Showing himself like this, taking all arrows of humiliation. Because he was the former prince now a 'dog', the 'kingdom' image changed to the eyes of Uchiha. The once proud and noble house of Uzumaki fell to the hands of Uchiha. Truly a tragedy." Hinata thought as they rode through the streets.

"Just look forward…just look forward…." Naruto chanted under his breath, ignoring all the stares and looks from his former people.

Time seemed to go agonizingly long as they rode through. The gate opened for them and let them pass. They were in the forest once more. They stopped at an intersection of two paths. Sasuke blinked and thought for a moment. The last time he passed through here he went to the right path, right?

"Left, Your Majesty." the guard spoke out suddenly. Naruto and Hinata turned to the guard in confusion.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Sasuke. He never saw this guard before and he definitely did not trust him.

"I can most assure you that, Your Majesty." the guard answered with confidence in his voice.

"Maybe we should listen to him, Sasuke. After all, you sent for a guard to help you navigate in first place, am I right?" Hinata suggested worried at the suspicion laced in Sasuke's eyes.

"All right then. Lead the way." Sasuke finally said with a deep sigh. They lead their horses onto the left path. The prince couldn't help but feel an ominous presence within. He did not like it one bit. He couldn't even recognize the path. Naruto seemed to fare with the same premonition but felt that the guard had a familiar presence within him as well. They rode for two hours before Hinata called for a stop.

"May we take a rest, please?" she begged. "We've been riding for too long for my comfort. My most utmost apologies, Prince Sasuke."

"I do not see a proper place where we could rest though, Hinata." Sasuke answered.

"Actually, Your Majesty, there is a nearby lake that we are to pass. It is quite shallow and is shaded by many trees." the guard suggested.

"Very well. We could rest there then."

"You have my gratitude, Prince Sasuke." Hinata thanked.

The four reached the lake easily. They tied their horses to a nearby tree before relaxing themselves. Hinata sighed and rubbed her bottom from the pain caused from being on the horse too much.

"Ah! Finally, somewhere we could rest!" Naruto cried out. He took off his boots and ran towards the lake. He sighed in pure bliss as the cool water met his hot feet. Sasuke and Hinata walked towards the lake to join him. However, the guard stayed behind.

"Why did you take you take your sword with you?" Naruto asked as his eyes narrowed when he saw the sheath of Sasuke's sword.

"Why did you take yours?" Sasuke retorted back then pointed to the sheath on Naruto's belt. Naruto held it protectively.

"It's one of the few things I have left to treasure from my past life."

"Fair enough. A strong knight must be always prepared in any kind of environment. That is why." Sasuke droned on as he lift one foot out of the water before letting it back in.

"The water is quite c-cool, don't you think?" Hinata commented with a sigh.

"Yes, that sun we had to ride through was unbearably hot." Naruto said, supporting Hinata's statement.

The three talked for a while, quickly forgetting about the guard. Until, Sasuke spoke up once more.

"However, I can't help but feel that this guard is leading us in the wrong direction. It's strange." Sasuke sighed before leaning back. His breath hitched when an arrow came whizzing right over his face. If he didn't lean back, he would've been a goner.

"What was that?" Naruto blinked before looking backwards. Sasuke jumped up when another arrow whizzed towards him. He blocked it with his sword sheath. In a flash, Naruto and Sasuke both unsheathe their swords. Hinata stood up as well.

"Wait! Where's the guard?! Isn't he supposed to protect us?!" Hinata cried out. Her skirts fluttered when another arrow went by.

Naruto stepped forward with pride. "Where are you?! Show yourselves!"

This time, two arrows passed by, forcing Sasuke to sidestepped towards the bushes. A hand came out of the bushes and grabbed Sasuke's ankle.

"What is this?! Let go!" Sasuke kicked free and sliced at the bushes. However, another sword rose from the bushes and came up to meet the prince. With ease, Sasuke clashed with him and disarmed him.

'What is this? Are these bandits?' Hinata pondered. Slowly, she put her hands together and formed a sign. "Byakugan!"

Byakugan was an ancient technique developed by the royal scholars and doctors. It located all the pressure points and was used to locate an enemy at a far distance. However, it proved to be useless to them when they found out that they couldn't use it. The Hyuuga family became quickly known to be the only ones to master the technique, earning respect from nobles and other servants.

"Two…three…four…five…six bandits." she chanted. Naruto looked at her in amazement. He was not aware of her power. "Two located behind a tree and two behind the bushes. And the last one is located…the guard!"

Hinata's hands began to tremble. What ever happened to the loyalty of knights and guards? Her own breath hitched when a gleaming dagger was held beneath her neck.

"Any last words, my lady?" the person behind her cackled. Hinata took a deep breath before raising both of her hands.

"Gentle Fist." was all she said.

Naruto blinked before rushing behind the tree. The bandits were surprised before defending themselves with a hidden dagger. His sword sliced the air and met the daggers with a cruel clang. He kicked the bandits' ankles in hopes of tripping them before yelping in pain when two elbows smashed into his rib cage. He used the hilt of his sword to hit both of their shoulders to stun them. However, as he fought them, he noticed that they were only _defending _not attacking. Why weren't they attacking him yet attacking Sasuke and Hinata? With one final cruel hit from his hilt, he send them to the ground and pointed his sword at them. However, they did not look scared and instead, smiled.

"Always expected the best from our last bit of hope." they both said. Naruto widened his eyes in confusion. What are they talking about?

"Silence!" Naruto held the sword closer to one of their necks. However, the one with the blade stabbing him barely in the throat, showed no fear nor begging for mercy.

"Always expected." he said. Naruto still did not understand.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was the two bandits hidden in the bushes. They attacked him both in breathless sync, leaving him tired easily. However, he did not give up and slashed at them in an attempt to hide his weakening state. When a sword came down near his left shoulder, he blocked it with his sword before seeing at the corner of his eye the other sword coming near his ankles. He did a back flip to dodge both of them. He leaned back when two swords sliced at his head and caught on a tree behind him. Taking advantage of the situation, he took both of their heads and sidestepped to slam them into the tree. Stunning them, he elbowed them in the stomach before adding a cruel kick to their shins in the mixture. Using the hilt to hit their wrists, he disarmed them and threw their swords away in the opposite direction. **(A/N: Dang, I suck at action scenes.) **He didn't look angry neither happy.

"What do you want?" he asked. The bandits didn't answer. Sasuke's sword tipped one of the bandits' chins. "If you shall not talk, I shall show no mercy!"

A rustling was heard from behind. Sasuke's ears twitched before turning around. The last bandit rushed at him out of his hiding place, catching him off guard.

"Is that…" Sasuke deflected the blow aimed at him. The other two who were once cornered trapped his ankles and arms, earning a solid hard glare and groan from Sasuke. He couldn't move now. "You're the guard! Are you not supposed to be protecting us?!"

"It may look like so but who ever said that I was on your side, Your Majesty." he mocked sarcastically. He raised his blade for a fatal blow. "For Minato!"

'Minato?' Sasuke thought in shock. He struggled to get free but as soon as he gained his mobility, the blade came falling down.

"Sasuke!" Naruto rushed forward and used his own blade to deflect the blow. He pushed the "guard" away and kicked the two other bandits away. Sasuke nodded and prepared himself in his own battle stance.

"What is it that you want?" Naruto asked darkly, holding his sword in a threatening way.

The "guard" smirked before raising a hand. The two "bandits" behind them rushed in front of Naruto.

"I see that you do not know us." he said.

"Why did you attack us?" Sasuke dared to ask. However, the guard did not answer and ignored him.

"Do you not recognize us?" one of the bandits spoke with a tinge of sadness.

"I'm afraid I do not." Naruto answered.

"Will this?" The guard unbuttoned his coat and revealed the inside. "Help you remember?"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock; he lowered his sword. He stared as if trying to process the image through his head. "That coat wasn't your real one…..That badge inside…..I know that one…"

"Praise to the gods, thank goodness." one of the bandits cried out. The three captives took off their disguise and bowed before Naruto. "It is nice to see you well again, Prince Naruto."

"You are…."

"Knights that accompanied your father's military expeditions. It is truly….." the knights trailed off.

"A blessing to see the heir of our kingdom still alive." one of the knights finished.

"Long Live Prince Naruto." the knights aired. "We wanted to protect you."

Sasuke could only stiffen his body as he processed the truth. However, Naruto threw them off by the next thing that came out of his mouth.

"I am your prince no longer, though."

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All right! It's pretty clear that Naruto is a prince that lost everything. Sasuke is a confused prince looking for his place in the world. Lol. Hinata is a servant girl who wants to look at the bright side no matter what. Review!


	4. Wild

Whoo! A new chapter!

Warning: This chapter will be kinda short!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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"Wha-What? What do you mean, Prince Naruto?" the guards blinked nervously as they processed the information through their head.

"I'm no longer a prince and I planned to make it that way." Naruto answered firmly yet his head says he's unsure.

_Naruto, you certainly are quite cruel this time. Minato….he was such a powerful leader. Yet…you reject this. Are you a fool? You never cease to amaze me, Naruto. Here, the chance to redeem yourself lies before you but you don't take it._

'No, Kyuubi. I have yet more to go through if I am to reach the same level as Father. Depending others is….' Naruto hesitated before opening his eyes and breathing, 'Is an act of humiliation to show your vulnerability! Father did get some help from the army but, who was the one who directed that army?'

_Sharp logic, Naruto. How unlike you. Then again, you do have a point but who needs them when you have me?_

"Naruto…do you know these people?" Sasuke asked, still in amazement. Didn't the Uchiha army shoot down any supporters?

"Yes. Father's military expeditions. Why, though?" Naruto asked, shocked. "In the state that I am in."

"Prince Naruto, it is our dire duty to protect you. We serve no one except the House of Uzumaki. We stay strong with that belief!" one of the knights exclaimed. "That boy.." He pointed his sword at the raven-haired prince. "Is our enemy. To more of his unfortunate luck, he is also your new master when your kingdom has fallen. Let him be our first kill!"

The other knights unsheathe their swords and pointed it threateningly at Sasuke. Sasuke's head lowered slightly, glowering. "You will be sorry if you try to hurt me."

"You think we take orders from some drunken fool like you? You make me laugh!" the "guard" mocked. However, Naruto raised his hand. The knights stopped their actions and stood at attention.

"Don't kill him."

"W-What? You must be mistaken or drunk, Prince Naruto. This is your enemy!"

"Didn't I tell you already? I am no longer a prince."

The knights who were nervous and anxious, were now angry. "Prince Naruto!"

"If I am a prince, I want you to leave us alone. That's my last order." Naruto commanded in a stoic manner. The knights seemed to hesitate before tightening their grip on their arms.

"Prince Naruto…"

"He must be drunk. Never I saw him like this before!" cried two of the knights, outraged.

"Are you sure he's the prince, Edward?" one of the knights asked to the "guard" or leader of the group.

"Positive. Nobody that I know has the same shade yellow hair and blue eyes as Minato." answered the defiant knight.

"But, our lady Kushina…Something is wrong with our prince. He changed. His spirit….is like the dead." spoke one of the knights.

"There is nothing wrong with me." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Naruto, tell them to leave. They are starting to be a thorn. Our journey is put on halt with them." Sasuke remarked coldly before becoming silent. Hinata rushed over behind Naruto, confused.

"What happened?" Hinata whispered in panic. She could truly see that the "guard" was one no more.

"Naruto." was all Sasuke said.

"Naruto, wha-" Sasuke's hand raised to silence her. "Prince..Sasuke?"

"This is a conversation for Naruto. It is not our place to interfere." Sasuke answered though, in truth, he was not sure if Naruto was really going to use his knights against him.

"You're right, Sasuke. It is not your place to interfere. So, in payback for all you done to our kingdom, die!" The leader rushed at Sasuke with an angry sword gleaming in the light.

"No!" Sasuke raised his sword as a reflex to block the blow but Naruto went in front of the sword and blocked it with his own. He put his sword back into his sheath as he stared into the widen eyes of the confused knight.

"Why…"

"You will not harm him, understand?" Naruto's voice dropped to a lethal and dark tone.

"This boy…amazing…he managed to pull some strings on our prince." one of the knights commented.

"Get out of the way, I beg of you, Prince Naruto." the leader panicked as he aimed it even closer to Sasuke or, also to Naruto. Swallowing thickly, Naruto held a hand.

"Please." Naruto emphasized that word. The knight looked down out of a questionable emotion but his grip on the sword did not falter. Seeing this, Naruto took a deep breath but raised his hand. Much to Hinata's and Sasuke's surprise, Naruto's bare hand landed on the blade and clasped tightly around it. Naruto didn't wince but still kept a firm look on his face. Hinata's eyes followed the blood that was now dribbling down Naruto's arm and staining the white shirt. The sword shook slightly.

"I'm…sorry." The knight suddenly kicked Naruto in the stomach, making him gasp and wither away. He raised his sword and went for Sasuke once more. Sasuke dodged each slice with his keen eyesight before getting his sword out and clashing against the knight swashbuckler-style.

"Quite foolish, are you, Sir Knight?" Sasuke spoke out. He leaned back to dodge a blow before doing a back flip. His legs went into the air and trapped the blade on the flat side. Jerking forward, he jolted the sword out of the knight's grip and kicked the knight backwards. Landing gracefully back on his feet, Sasuke took his sword out once more and took advantage at the knight's vulnerable state. The knight fell to the ground and squeezed his eyes shut for the incoming blow but a small but sharp pain replaced it. His hand flew to his cheek before realizing a small but precise cut on his cheek. His eyes opened slowly to reveal a Sasuke towering over him with a sword pointed at him. "I'm not the type to kill someone because of some foolish reason. To think that you would be able to defeat me is overestimating yourself."

"Naruto…your hand."

"I'll be okay." The blond add a reassuring smile to emphasize the point. He stepped forward to confront the rest of the knights. "Like I said, I want you to stop. If you are really loyal to me, you will stop this." Knights. Always so stubborn with their code of chivalry. How annoying yet quite perfect at the same time. Too perfect.

"Would you openly admit that you are a dog then?" one of the angry knights snarled. Naruto flinched at the tone but Sasuke remained silent and emotionless.

"I'm not a dog." Naruto whispered loud enough so that the rest can hear before raising his voice. "I'm not a servant to a bastard either!"

"What are you then? You don't give orders but you don't work either."

_He does have a point. What are you, Naruto? You won't admit you are a servant yet you refuse to say you're a prince also. What rules and what follows? What is hot but cold? You're being a fool again, Naruto._

'Shut up, Kyuubi. I never asked for your opinion.' Naruto thought back threateningly. However, Kyuubi only laughed in response, knowing that the young blond's mind was scattered.

"Well?" the outraged knights asked with their fists clenched together to their sides. Naruto didn't answer.

"He's neither." a voice spoke up. Hinata could only smile assuredly as she said her explanation. "He is just himself. He does not follow or order anyone except himself. Let him decide the choices you make for himself. I know that you're just trying to help but…" Hinata's smile faltered a bit. "You're actually pushing Naruto over the edge and into a danger zone that he has to avoid by trying to kill Prince Sasuke for his sake."

The knights looked taken back before lowering their swords. The leader stood up before raising his hands in peace. "Prince Naruto, what is it you truly want? If it's not your kingdom, what is it?"

"Something." Naruto whispered in a barely audible tone before thinking, 'I want something but I can't put my finger on it.' Kyuubi laughed.

_You want something more to expect from life. You don't want to go into the same senile state again. That 'something' will be your ticket out of a boring life. It's too obvious what you need, Naruto. Start with the basic formalities first. You'll get that 'something' soon enough. That 'something' is bound to come to you._

'So, you do know what I want!' Naruto's mind screamed. Kyuubi chuckled once more.

_I refuse to tell you, though. It dearly ruins the fun for me. Besides, even with your slow mind, you'll find out soon enough._

"Let us leave, then." the leader took a sharp breath. "We now feel that you're old enough to make your own decisions. However, Minato was a great man and stepped up to take the responsibility to care for the kingdom and in return, us, his people, gave him our sworn loyalty. The kingdom flourished, it was heaven. Until, the Uchiha dogs infected the castle. Minato gave up his life, trying to protect the castle but failed to since he was greatly weakened by the attacks from all the military expeditions. The survivors could only hope that his son would take his place but he disappeared. We still believed that you would come back and take your place but look at you now. Minato was our protector and beloved king, would you follow his footsteps? Seeing your blood stained upon my blade reminds of our king slumped over on his throne with his blade stained on Fugaku's blade. Your blood is Minato's blood. It makes me sick to see you hurt."

Naruto was silent still. The knights still continued his speech before turning to leave. "We will leave you alone, then. However, if the opportunity rises for you to summon us, do not expect for help. We were crushed once and now crushed again."

The knights disappeared but took a horse with them into the forest. Naruto stared in the distance before turning to Sasuke and Hinata. He smiled at them and loosened the tight grip of his tie on his neck. "So, shall we be going?"

"Prince Sasuke, do you have any wounds or injuries that I must attend to?" Hinata asked with a bow, concerned. Sasuke flexed his body, arms, and legs and breathed slow and deep breaths before shaking his head. Hinata turned to Naruto and pointed to his hand.

"I must treat it!" Hinata exclaimed before tearing out the hem of her dress to bandage the hand."Naruto…" Hinata looked down before becoming concerned once again. "Is your upper body okay, though?"

"Well…ouch!" Sasuke went over silently and prodded Naruto's chest. "You bastard, don't do that!"

"Obviously, no, Hinata." Hinata went over to a sheepish Naruto.

"Seriously, Hinata. I'm perfectly fine."

"Sit your ass down and let her fix you up, you fool." Sasuke snapped as he leaned against a tree with his arms crossed.

"I know only a little about healing. For all I know, you have a few cruel bruises when you suffered from that vicious hit." Hinata commented as she searched Naruto's upper body for any other injuries. "We could use the pond to help you soothe the bruises. Thank goodness, it's minor, though. I'll try, though-"

"I have bruises?!" Naruto screeched in disbelief.

"Big deal, O Wise Almighty Prince." Sasuke answered sarcastically.

"Only about one or two. But yes, it must be from when those two knights jabbed you viciously in the ribs with their armored elbows. Iron plates, to be exact." Hinata explained. "I'll do my best to treat-"

"Don't. Hinata, there's no need to over a couple of vicious bruises. We're wasting enough time here anyway. Leave the pool. We'll get Naruto fixed up when we get to our destination." Sasuke interrupted.

"Aww..Poor wittle Sasuke is too squeamish over blood?" Naruto mocked in a baby voice. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"I'm not squeamish over blood, you fool. Also, for starters, bruises don't bleed. Common sense, stupid." Sasuke snapped.

"I didn't know you care." Naruto sneered.

"Hinata! Let's go!" Sasuke ordered.

"You make me wonder how you could stand seeing my father bleeding on the throne to death. It's settled then. We head over to the Land of Haruno and Sakura should be able to fix me up." Naruto exclaimed, standing up before prodding his side slightly. He winced at the pain.

"Hinata, take care of Naruto for a while." Sasuke ordered.

"Aye, sir." Naruto gave a mock salute. He struggled to get on the horse and required both Sasuke and Hinata's help get on.

They rode on for two more days. Hinata could only stare in amazement at Naruto's spirit which wasn't diminished even once during those two days. At last, the cherry blossom trees began to appear, signaling the three that the kingdom was near. Naruto was in pain but not in much pain a regular person might have. Kudos to Kyuubi and his magical powers. Haha, not funny.

'Like the deaths of your parents, right, Naruto?' Hinata thought sadly. 'Compared to the deaths, your pain right now is nothing.'

They rode through the village quickly but carefully, trying not to make Naruto in any more pain than he was right now and unaware of Naruto's abnormal vitality and stamina.

The village people gasped and pointed at Sasuke in awe and disbelief. Village boys came in and bowed before Sasuke, knowing the power of the Uchiha and wishing to be in Sasuke's place. Village girls sighed dreamily as Sasuke crossed their path. Guards rushed forward at the castle and bowed in welcome.

"Hello, Master Sasuke. Our Princess Sakura has been quite excited to see you." a butler came forward to lead them inside. Sasuke forced a smile.

"I can imagine." the raven-haired prince answered in a false warm voice.

The Haruno castle was just as neat as Naruto and Sasuke remembered. It held a friendly yet firm aura around unlike the stern and regal aura at the Uchiha's, Naruto noted. Soft but hasty footsteps were heard coming down the hall.

"Sasuke?!?!" It could only mean one thing for poor Sasuke. The witch in pink had come for him. A girl about his age came prancing down the hallway. Sasuke raised a stiff hand as if for a greeting wave. Naruto would've snickered if he wasn't staring at Sakura. She was beautiful! Damn, she just keeps getting better each year. Sasuke is one lucky bastard.

"Sakura." Sasuke greeted, clearing his throat and loosening his tie. Sakura was dressed in a red long-sleeved silky dress, obviously fit for royalty.

"I'm so glad you came." Her eyes held absolute (and disgusting in Sasuke's opinion) adoration.

"Hello Sakura!" Naruto greeted amiably. Sakura gave him a sad smile of pity. Her face was suddenly adorned with pity and sadness. "I heard the news about you and your…kingdom. Sasuke, is he really your new servant?"

"I'm afraid so, Sakura." Sasuke answered blankly.

"I'm okay, though. At least, I am still alive, right?" Naruto replied optimistically.

"Of course." she smiled in support.

"It's nice to see you again, Princess Sakura." Hinata bowed in respect. "You're looking fair and well as ever."

"Thank you, Hinata." Sakura's hand went up and was directed to the staircase behind them. "Sasuke, I had a room made for you upstairs. Go to the first door to your right. Naruto, Hinata, I'll sent you to the servant quarters."

"No." Sasuke spoke. "If it isn't much to ask, I want Hinata and Naruto to be near me for my own personal convenience. Is that all right?"

"Oh?" Sakura looked shocked before regaining her composure. "Right away, Sasuke." She turned to leave and when she was out of sight, Naruto talked once more.

"Aww, you need a buddy to protect you at night?" Naruto mocked. Sasuke snapped his head to the other direction.

"I do not want to be stuck with that girl for seven days straight. She put my room next to hers for a reason, you fool." the raven-haired boy hissed, seething with anger. Naruto raised his hands in defense.

"All right. I will enjoy the liberty, as your servant, trying to talk with Sakura to distract her from you." Naruto joked with a laugh. Hinata laughed as well but she felt a pang of an unknown emotion. A negative emotion towards Sakura. Was it, anger or rather jealousy? She fought down a blush before tugging on the servant's arm.

"It would be humorous to see Sasuke inching away again from a conversation like he did last time." she added deviously for some fun of her own. Naruto could only smirk as a faint blush splayed across Sasuke's face. He then muttered, "You do not know the living hell I go through in this place."

"Which is why I am still wondering why you wanted to visit here, Prince Sasuke?" she smiled gracefully as Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I needed to get out of the castle for a while. Besides, I have a new counterattack weapon for the little witch."

Naruto kept smiling but secretly had a feeling that it wasn't true. Sasuke had his motives. That was no surprise for Naruto. He knew how smart and canny Sasuke was to survive and plan his moves when going against his family.

Sakura made the new changes of living compartments before rushing back towards Sasuke's room. She gave him a slight nod and a alluring smile to signal him that the changes have been made. Sasuke's room was bland and boring but comfortable and regal as any other royal room, Naruto remembered. One giant bed with a canopy and curtains. A bedside table to place things on. A beautifully furnished table sat on the other side of the room. Next to the table sat a fireplace, ready to be lit any time on the darkest of days. A large window with red and silky curtains topped the combination off. Naruto and Hinata were standing at the doorway. Naruto was currently smirking and showed no sign to help Sasuke. He leaned against the doorway before wincing in pain from his vicious bruises. This gave Sasuke an idea.

"Oh, right, almost forgot. Sakura, if you don't mind, can you call one of your servants to deliver two cool and wet cloths for Naruto. We ran into…a little problem on the way here."

Sakura nodded almost immediately. She waved a servant over and gave her Sasuke's orders. The little and obedient servant rushed out the room. "Are you all right, Sasuke? You have gotten into a fight?"

"Yes. Luckily, Naruto and Hinata was there to accompany me. It was an ambush that none of us expected. We've expected the guards littered across the way but somehow the enemy had gone past them and attacked us." Sasuke explained solemnly.

"Oh, I see. I know I probably shouldn't underestimate your skills, Sasuke but do you have any injuries that need to be treated?" Sakura asked hopefully. However, Sasuke shook his head and raised a hand. "No need to, Sakura."

"Tell me of your trip, dear Sasuke." she demanded, making herself comfortable on his bed. Sasuke took a deep breath, one of agitation, Naruto assumed. "I believe I need Naruto and Hinata to tell the story. Hinata, Naruto, come!"

Naruto went to the furnished table to snatch two chairs. Hinata stepped in front of the bed and bow in front of them before staying standing. The other servant rushed over and gave her a chair to sit on. She looked at Sakura and Sasuke for permission and received a nod.

"I will start first. We went through a village for a safe passage." Hinata started, not mentioning that the village was Naruto's.

"Then came the forest maze that we had to navigate through by ourselves." Naruto continued. Sakura intervened the conversation. "Did you not have any knights or guards to accompany to you, Sasuke?"

"We did. He's gone." Sasuke answered emotionless.

"Did he disappear or die?" she asked.

"He…died…from the ambush." Hinata lied hesitantly. Sasuke immediately gave the two the sign to tell no one of the truth of their encounter.

"When did you get ambushed?" the pink-haired princess poked once more.

" We were with the guard who was helping us reach here. We rode through the forest but at a certain point, the guard stopped us in suspicion. We got off our horses to survey the trees and the area. I had a feeling that something sinister was going to happen but it was too late to go through the area. Before we could even acknowledge our surroundings, a barrage of arrows rained down upon us with bandits coming out of every corner." Sasuke lied smoothly. Naruto picked up from there.

"The guard…died protecting us. We fought and managed to escape barely with our lives." Naruto followed. Sakura's eyes filled with sorrow and pity before smiling. "Well, he shall die in honor then. Giving his life up to protect his master is admirable and noble. He would've been a fine knight for you."

_Hinata was very wise not to mention what really happened. It would've been bad for you and Sasuke. Sakura is the type of girl to do anything for Sasuke. If a guard really attacked you in disguise, she would sent her own knights to hunt him down. When her knights find him, the guard would automatically blame you and hate you even more. _

'Yeah…' Naruto thought.

"We escaped but Naruto suffered a few bruises and a sword wound from the ambush. We had no cool water source to treat it, though." Hinata explained.

"I see…" Sakura trailed off when a knock was heard from the door. "Come in." The servant went gracefully and bowed before the princess, presenting the cool cloths. She dismissed the servant and handed the cloth to Naruto who accepted it graciously. Shoving one of his hands under his shirt, he sighed in content at the soothing feeling. Using the other hand, he squeezed it into his injured hand.

The four talked for a while before Naruto commented that his cloth was getting warm. Sakura took the cloths back and turned to Sasuke.

"He kept that wet cloth for more than an hour. He does not need it anymore." Sasuke commented before standing up and turning to the male servant. " I am feeling for some sparring practice. You up for it, Naruto?"

"I thought you wanted to fight me with swords not fists." Naruto blinked.

"We do not want to see any innocent blood shed from a sword's blade during practice in front of a princess. Surely when you were a prince, you learned some manners of that kind. Besides, we only fought with swords, I want to see the odds of you without your sword. Say you lose your sword in battle, what now?" Sasuke snapped. Naruto glared at him. The only reason he didn't know manners like these was because he skipped his classes and hid from his teachers.

"Is that all right for you, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, receiving an encouraging nod from Sakura.

"I will be cheering for you all the way, dear Sasuke!" she let out a harmonious laugh. Hinata smiled sincerely at Sakura's encouraging before speaking up meekly. "Then, I shall cheer for Naruto to win so it will be fair."

Naruto beamed gratefully at Hinata who looked down to hide the crimson shade that was now spreading across her face. The four headed out of the castle and into an open space in the royal garden which consist of cherry blossom trees. It was the beginning of spring when Naruto was admitted to being a servant to Sasuke so the cherry blossoms were blossoming now. Sasuke took one side of the garden while Naruto took the other. Planting his feet firm in the ground, Naruto readied himself as Sasuke did to himself. Hinata gave them the signal to fight. Sasuke rushed forward towards Naruto with a punch ready in hand. Naruto dodged the punches before adding a few off his own. Sasuke jumped backwards and applied the similar style of dodging strikes and hits as with his sword. Using a nearby tree as leverage, he stepped up the tree to dodge an attack and landed behind Naruto and kicked him up in the air.

"It's over." Sasuke muttered before landing a hit to Naruto's backside then to into his stomach then another into the backside and one final cruel hit into the stomach, slamming Naruto into the ground on his back. Back flipping backwards, Sasuke shifted his weight and inspected his work. **(A/N: Lion's Barrage, basically.)**

"Yes, you beat him, Sasuke!" Sakura cheered. However, Hinata smiled. "Naruto didn't lose. He's too strong to let that hurt him too badly."

Sure enough, Sasuke stand back in shock as Naruto staggered up to his feet. "Think again, Sasuke. It takes a lot more than that to defeat me."

Naruto rushed forward with determination, faster than ever. Sasuke struggled to keep up with him.

"You see me. You do not see me." Naruto taunted before appearing on one spot and another. Sasuke could have sworn he saw two Narutos. The blond servant was so fast that when he appeared in one spot and ran to another, it looked like there were clones.

"Got you!" Naruto cried out before raising his fit for the kill. Sasuke barely dodged before Naruto appeared behind him. He kicked the raven-haired prince in the back before applying one in the stomach. A small miniature version of Sasuke's own technique. Sasuke heaved himself up before a fist met his face. Slamming in a cherry blossom tree, Sasuke staggered up and dodged Naruto's next attack.

'He's fast. Let's see…let's try attacking him from the back side once more.' Sasuke thought.

Sweat poured down Sasuke's face as he rushed to keep up with Naruto's deadly dance. He stepped onto a cherry blossom tree and kicked himself into the air. Naruto used the tree to get into the air as well before the two engaged into air combat. Then, Sasuke realized. Without any ground for Naruto to pushed off of or run across, Naruto's speed will diminish. To even add more to his advantages, he could apply his technique used from before in the air. Sasuke attempted to kick Naruto in the stomach which was now successful to send the blond flailing in the air and back down for Sasuke to land one hit into the back and the final one in the stomach before landing in the ground.

"Sasuke beat him for sure this time!" Sakura cheered. Sasuke dusted his hands off but readied himself just in case if the servant stood up once more. Sure enough, the mound that laid on the ground also known as Naruto moved and stood up again.

"Yes, Naruto!" Hinata cried out. Sasuke's eyes twitched in frustration before he threw his arms in the air.

"Ugh, that is enough for now. It's getting dark. We better start heading in to get ready for dinner." Sasuke decided.

"So, it's a draw. Sasuke's hits are virtually powerful combined with his wits but Naruto's speed and stamina proved to counterattack him well." Hinata said to herself.

"Beat you….Sasuke." Naruto panted to dust himself from the ground. Sakura clapped her hands together.

"Well, I still think that Sasuke might've beaten you if he didn't call it off." she said cockily. Naruto rolled his eyes before heading back inside for a bath.

"Oh well, Sakura. There is always tomorrow." Hinata suggested with an optimistic smile. "Right now, we should be getting ready for dinner."

"Of course, Hinata." The girls followed the two boys back inside the castle.

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So, kinda short but promised that there will be more next time! Review!


	5. Disturbed

New chappie! Sorry, this one is going to be shorter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Lacking the princely manners needed at the dinner table, Naruto easily attracted looks of disgust around the table. Hinata laughed sheepishly before apologizing on Naruto's behalf. Sasuke looked annoyed as the messy sounds of Naruto's slurping attacked his ears. It didn't take long for Sakura to slam her fists down and whack Naruto in the back of the head, demanding that he eat properly. Naruto, in response, glared at her and gave a extra large slurp. The princess narrowed her eyes and snatched the bowl away, earning a whine. After a few minutes of demanding, and yes, threats, Naruto drank his soup and behaved at the table properly. Dinner ended properly without any frays, thankfully. The four said good night before heading back to their rooms. Sasuke said good night to his two servants before closing his door quietly. Sakura gave a gracious smile and nodded to both of them before saying good night to Sasuke. She too closed her door. Hinata said good night to Naruto who nodded and grinned. The two went their separate ways.

Naruto went into the dark room that was lit by a single candle and the moon. Naruto changed his clothes and went to bed. However, he was sleepless. Too many things were on his mind. Sighing, he surrendered and went up from his bed. He pushed the curtains of the window away and unlocked the doors to reveal a spacious balcony. He sat on the railing, hugging one of his legs while the other was hanging off the railing. He stared off to the starry sky, wondering what was he even looking for.

"Would you openly admit that you are a dog then?" one of the angry knights snarled.

The knight's words echoed through his head. Ugh, this was so confusing.

_Hmph, Naruto. Isn't it quite late to regret your words?_

"Shut up, Kyuubi." the former prince snapped in annoyance. The demon's laughter ran through his head. He continued to argue with the demon as he sat on the balcony.

Meanwhile, Hinata was suffering from insomnia as well. She rubbed her eyes and shut them again before deciding it was pointless. She got up from her bed and walked around the room. When that didn't help, she decided, maybe going to the bathroom might help. Although, it probably wasn't a good idea to lurk around the quarters, curiosity got the better of her when she opened the door carefully. She quietly went out and shut the door behind her. The servant was a bit frightened by the darkness in the castle at night. Tiptoeing, she passed Sasuke's room before hearing some chattering from Naruto's room. Hinata noticed that his door was ajar. She peeked in before seeing the blond perched on the balcony. The girl could see that the boy wasn't able to sleep either. Pulling the door opened quietly and hoping that she wasn't invading his personal space, she slipped in.

Naruto was busily chatting with what seemed to be himself before a voice invade his conversation.

"Naruto?" the timid girl asked, tugging on his shirt sleeve. The said person turned to her. "Hinata? What are you doing here?"

Relieved, Hinata joined Naruto on the balcony and sat carefully on the railing. "I could not sleep. Too many things were on my mind."

Smiling, Naruto agreed with her statement. The two talked a little before Hinata asked him something. "From the encounter in the forest, the knights mentioned your family. I couldn't help but be perturbed by the fact that you seemed calm by the fact that your parents are dead."

Naruto looked away before murmuring bitterly, "I wasn't. I loved my parents. I was…upset when I found out that my father died from the Uchiha king's hand. That anger….became my Achilles heel and landed me here." He chuckled darkly. "I should've saved myself when I had the chance."

"Forgive me if I intrude in your personal space but you never seemed to mention your mother? What happened to her?" Hinata asked curiously, leaning towards him. Naruto looked away and bend his head. Hinata's eyes immediately became concerned. "I-I'm sorry. I must've hit a sensitive nerve. You don't have to answer!"

Naruto held up his hand for silence. "No, I'm okay. My mother died when I was little from a devastating plague. My father and I were crushed. I loved my mother."

"I could imagine. Tell me about your mother." Hinata agreed to his statement; her own mother died when she was four from a disease as well.

However, Naruto looked away silently. Hinata realized she hit a sour note. She was about to change the subject but Naruto beat her to it.

"Say, what happened to your family?" Naruto asked curiously. Hinata gave him a sad smile.

"My father is the head of the Hyuuga clan. We were nobles. I was supposed to be one of the successors before he passed it down to my cousin, Neji." she explained. "Neji will inherit his position and command the order of the clan."

"You're a lady, then?! Why are you a servant?!" Naruto nearly yelled out in shock. Hinata blushed at the comment before brushing it away. "We went broke. However, His Majesty Fugaku miraculously asked us to become his loyal servants. It was better than being a peasant, right? It's always an honor to serve a royal member directly. I command some of the lower ranks of servants like Kiba, Shikamaru, and the others."

"How shocking." Naruto commented. "You make your father seem like a very strict and demanding person." Hinata gave a dark giggle. "He is, Naruto. Not to mention, religious."

"I see."

The two began to talk for a while before they noticed that they were starting to get tired. Naruto yawned and grinned at Hinata. "If talking to you helps me sleep, you're welcome to come by here everyday!" Hinata blushed at his comment before jumping off the railing to leave.

Sunshine greeted the sleepy eyes in a rather annoying way as Sasuke growled at the open curtains. He sighed and scratched his head in a weary way. He takes his clothes from the neat pile on the table and went out to the bathing room. After washing himself, Sasuke buttoned up his shirt, pulled up his pants, slip on his coat, and put on his shoes. Naruto and Hinata greeted him cheerfully at the dining table. He grumbled in annoyance as in response.

"Breakfast is served, Prince Sasuke." a nearby butler announced before setting his plate. Sasuke wearily picked up his fork and began to eat. Naruto blinked and stared suspiciously as he wolfed down on his own plate. Even Hinata looked a bit worried. "Is the prince down in the weather today?"

The ebony-haired prince groaned, making Sakura worried, and slapped a hand on his face. "Too much was on my mind yesterday. I didn't get any sleep."

"Teh, what was on your mind yesterday? Aww, did little Sasuke have a nightmare?" Naruto mocked before making a baby face, offending Sasuke. Sasuke could only glared for he did not want Naruto nor Hinata to know anything about what happened last night. He gave an overly sharp glare at the blond which strike the blond odd. Sasuke was never like this over one little comment.

Last night, Sasuke spend his time in bed, fully awake, thinking over a couple of things. Though, Naruto would've thought he would pass it away by now, Sasuke had a habit of thinking things over. A lot. His father's peculiar behavior towards Naruto. The odd whisker marks on Naruto's face which never seem to go away no matter what. The guard ambush in the forest. It was a lot. However, what really made Sasuke perturbed was when he dueled with Naruto in the Uzumaki's castle.

Flashback:

_In obvious and open rage, Naruto furiously slashed his sword at Sasuke. This hit contained a considerable amount of strength but it was poorly aimed. Naruto's hits were easily parried back. Sasuke struggled a bit, noticing a faint red glow emitting from his opponent's body. His once blue eyes became mean and demonic. It was almost like he was possessed. What was this power? The raven-haired prince also noticed that Naruto's strength was escalating at an alarming rate. He narrowed his eyes. "I need to finish this immediately."_

_Becoming more swift than usual, he decided that his only option was to knock Naruto out. He struggled a bit before hitting Naruto's arms to be able to slow him down only to be surprised to see those wounds heal at an inhuman rate. So, the head was left. Finishing the battle swiftly, Sasuke successfully landed a cruel blow with enough power to make Naruto black out._

_"You are quite strong, Naruto. However, I have to ask this of you, though. What is this power that you have?" Sasuke commented as his father called some knights over to pick up the unconscious body. However, the prince wasn't sure if he should know the truth._

Flashback end

The prince finished his breakfast quietly before excusing himself from the table. He shoved his hands in his coat before walking down the hall. Naruto and Hinata quickly finished their food to catch up with him. Naruto studied him carefully.

_My, my, getting protective of your master, aren't you, Naruto?_

'It isn't that, Kyuubi. There's something from his behavior that's slightly off. I think Hinata notices it too. I do not the look that Sasuke gave me at the table.' Naruto thought deliberately. He put a hand on Sasuke's shoulders. "Oi, Sasuke!" Sasuke stopped and turned around. "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto glared at his face before stretching Sasuke's cheeks. "You are too sad! Lighten up, will you?" Annoyed, Sasuke slapped Naruto's hands and left both Hinata and the blond with a huff. Hinata looked at Sasuke's direction with worry. "Prince Sasuke…"

Sasuke went outside for a walk in Sakura's gardens. Luckily, Sakura, right now, was attending her royal lessons from the scholars. He walked for a while, trying to get his thoughts organized. He was glad that Naruto and Hinata finally decided to leave him alone. He finally went back inside to see Sakura rushing at him. Just his luck.

"Ah! Sasuke!" she cried out eagerly. Sasuke's expression did not change as he stared at her. "Aren't you supposed to be attending your studies, Sakura?"

"Well, yes." she blushed before playing with the hem of her handkerchief. "You see, I lost a book for one of my studies. Seeing that you are idle and all, can you help me find it?"

The prince sighed before nodding. Sakura eagerly pulled him into the library. "What's the title, Sakura?"

"Oh, it's umm, 'Proper Etiquette' by Sir Barrett." she said as she looked and skimmed through the titles. Sasuke nodded before beginning to look on the other side of the enormous library. After two hours of searching for the missing book, Sasuke finally found it wedged between two shelves. By god, this library is so messy. As he picked up the book, something else caught his eye. A black book that was not too think or thick. He picked up the book curiously. 'Eyes Full Of Darkness' by King Sarutobi. The book was faded and worn out but nevertheless, it was still readable and in suitable condition. Being a prodigy for his age, Sasuke knew who Sarutobi was. Sarutobi was the leader who claimed the country and divided it up into four sections for four houses for peace. He was a brilliant man. Sasuke licked his lips in anticipation as he studied the book. To him, it looked like an ordinary book that he should've just thrown away but he couldn't bring himself to. Grunting, he shoved the book in his coat, hoping that Sakura wouldn't be terribly mad at him for stealing one of her books.

"Umm, did you find it, Sasuke?" Sakura asked cutely, effectively cutting off Sasuke's long train of thought. Snapping out from his thoughts, he handed her the book. She batted her eyelashes in a way that Sasuke could only assumed as 'seductive' before bouncing off. That girl. The boy went out of the library and locked himself in his room, left to ponder to himself. He sighed and reached for the book in his coat. He sat down leisurely in a chair before opening the book and began to read.

_Ch. 1: Realization_

_Being religiously-devoted to my beliefs, I did believe there was such things as sin or heaven. However, never did I thought in my life that I would run into things to symbolize these things. Upon the christening of the country I set foot on, I went exploring. There were many things and evidence that I found. I found tracks that were much more bigger than normal and feathers that were more fine than any bird. Then I realized, there was such mythical creatures in the world. Demons. Cursed beings. Angels. They do exist._

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, irritated. What kind of nonsense is this book spouting? This book wasn't that interesting after all. He tossed the book back into a bag carelessly before heading out. Hinata and Naruto was glad that he was able to talk with them again. Much to his chagrin, Sakura joined the already too whimsical group. Groaning, he decided to lay away his thoughts until this hellish week is done.

Five days later, the god-forsaken long week came to an end. Sakura said her goodbyes but looked a bit worried that Sasuke did not enjoy himself. She was on the verge of blubbering. In order to shut the girl up, he smiled coolly before gracing a kiss on her hand. The princess blushed profusely before waving good-bye. Sasuke smiled to himself. One good thing that came out from this week was that he had some time to give his brain some air away from his family. It was pure bliss.

Luckily, their passage back to the castle was safe but rather noisy as well, thanks to Naruto. Hinata was okay but Naruto has to control that voice of his. Thoughts from before began to resurfaced unwelcomingly. Sasuke felt himself staring at Naruto's whisker marks and prominent canines, wondering where they came from. Finally, curiosity got the best from him when he spoke up. "Naruto."

"Huh?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this. Where did you get those whisker marks on your face?" he asked, neutral of any emotion. Naruto faltered slightly before laughing sheepishly. Sasuke did not notice Naruto's hands tightening over the horse's reins. "…Eh-he. Well, Sasuke, give a toddler a knife to play with and….you know what happens."

"Hmph. Fool." was Sasuke's usual arrogant response. Naruto stick his tongue at him, offended while Hinata smiled in amusement. However, Sasuke did notice Naruto's hesitation to his response. He pushed it aside, though. A few days passed before the Uchiha castle began to appear. Servants welcomed them back joyously although, it was a facade as Sasuke can tell. The three of them went to the throne room and bowed before the king.

"Welcome back, you three. How was your trip, Sasuke?" the king smiled as he directed the question to his younger son. Sasuke nodded before answering nonchalantly, "Fine, Father. Princess Sakura was quite nice and a gracious host. I appreciated my time there."

"Is that so?" the king smirked before looking surprised. "The guard?"

Again, Sasuke said nonchalantly, "An unsuspected enemy ambush in the forest lead to his death during our trip to their kingdom."

"I see." the king laced his fingers together and closed his eyes as if in thought. He kept them closed before opening them once more. "Naruto?"

"Eh?" Naruto pointed to himself dumbly. The king looked at him carefully, trying to figure what kind of prank he was playing. "I was wondering. Did you say something to your people on the way during the trip?"

Naruto rubbed his arm nervously before shaking his head. "No, why?"

Fugaku let out a deep breath. "Because it appears, that after you left, a few days later, your former village had suddenly became cooperative to my orders. Quite a coincidence, eh?"

Naruto tightened his fists as he looked shocked, so did Sasuke and Hinata.

_Tch, had to expect that from the knights, Naruto? You were the village's last dying hope but you refused to take it._

'I don't want to go back to the same boring life, at least, not yet.' Naruto thought back fiercely.

"However," Fugaku sighed. "My knights had been reporting to me of strange cases happening in your village. Although, the villagers are cooperating, the knights noticed that some of the villagers are visiting the old ruins of your castle. The villagers would mumble prayers and pat the castle walls awkwardly before leaving. It was almost like they were possessed. It was quite a disturbing sight."

"We knew nothing of it, Father." Sasuke spoke up. Fugaku studied his son before waving a hand dismissively. "Very well, Sasuke. Naruto. Hinata. You are dismissed."

The three troubled people went out of the throne room. It was then when Hinata spoke out. "I didn't know that Naruto had that much power over the people."

"We were fools not to expect that. Land of Uzumaki was well-loved by its people, thanks to King Minato himself." Sasuke replied. He stopped and think for a second. "They must've been traumatized by the news."

"They probably did." Naruto answered sadly. Sasuke looked at him for a moment. "You know, Naruto. I'm quite curious to learn about your castle. Its immense space and regal air did impress me. Also, it's rather odd that some of the villagers still visit the lonely castle. I want to see it again."

"Prince Sasuke, are you even allowed to go there, though?" Hinata asked, clenching her apron. Sasuke shook his head before becoming deep in thought. "No, no I'm not, Hinata. My father said it was a sacred place for it was the home of his rival. He said to leave it be and let it rot by itself."

"That bastard." Naruto narrowed his eyes and tightened his fists.

"It seems that you also want to see it as well, Naruto." Sasuke said before smiling pleasantly. "Shall we, then tonight?"

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Sasuke smiling…That's something you do not see everyday. Review, please!


	6. Furtive

I'm working! I'm working! I found part of my notes. Yay.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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The stench of leftover dead bodies filled the air as Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata stepped over the rubble. Waving the air from his nose in distaste, Sasuke walked towards a fallen pillar. He patted it in a knowing way. "Hmm…your castle is quite sturdy before the Uchiha bombard it with stones and steel morning stars. It looks like very much of my own castle but it is somewhat more roomy."

"Eh, thanks…" Naruto answered sheepishly as he helped Hinata step over the pillar.

"Such a shame. It went under some renovations to improve one year ago. Not that old." the raven-haired prince continued, making Naruto feel slightly guilty. The blond scowled in frustration.

"Eh, stop ogling my castle and explore this pile of rubble." Naruto snarled, earning a slight snort from Sasuke. However, he did not say anything. With that, the three headed deeper within the castle. Naruto felt a slight pang of longing upon seeing the ripped remains of a Uzumaki banner. The carpets were tattered. Walls were left with grime, stained blood, and a foul smell. Wrinkling his nose at the sight, Sasuke walked briskly pass it.

"Why would the villagers go to this foul place? It's absolutely one of the most dirty places I've seen. The pigsty might be even more cleaner than this." Sasuke commented, putting a handkerchief over his nose. "Anyone in the right mind would know not to even go near this place, traumatized or not. There's definitely something going around here."

"Your father said that it looked like the villagers were possessed by something. Do you think…something has happened?" Hinata chimed in hesitantly.

"I really doubt it. Ugh, we better get out of this stinking castle. It's making my eyes bleed and my head hurt." Sasuke said, turning. "The villagers are probably suffering from mental retardation or depression. Hopefully, it's depression that drives them to these lengths." "No." Naruto breathed out. He glanced at the ground before turning to Sasuke, glaring at him. "My people are not like that. I seen them many times. In their unhappy times when a close relative dies. And in their happy times when they cry out for joy when they have a successful harvest. They're not the type to just go wandering around stiffly to the broken castle and mutter prayers when their ruler has died."

"However, think-"

"I know for sure, Sasuke." Naruto interrupted firmly. The two glared at each other before Hinata decided to step in.

"Why don't we all check deeper in the castle to see who's right?" she suggested nervously, trying to break up a blossoming argument. Sasuke gave one final 'hmph' and reluctantly went deeper into the castle. The more deeper they went, the more ominous it seem to get. The three walked through a seemingly endless hallway. Hinata was getting a little scared.

"I don't know why but this sinister presence keeps hitting me like crazy." she said, scared.

"You are just paranoid, Hinata. Whatever it is, it's probably because of the villagers." Sasuke said, unfazed.

_It's here. Something's here._

'What's here?' Naruto thought back.

_Tch. _

Naruto narrowed his eyes. This wasn't good. Kyuubi decided that this was the time to play. Bad time, really.

_Figure it out yourself. I'm surprised that Hinata is able to sense it. She might be a bit vague but she's right about something. Something is following you. Watching you._

Naruto grimaced slightly. For a moment, he felt eyes on him. He turned and saw nothing. Sasuke turned and smirked.

"Getting a little paranoid, are we Naruto?" he commented lazily. Naruto scowled in response and continued to walk. Kyuubi was right. Something was here. But what?

"Sasuke, Hinata….there's something here." he said finally. "I feel it."

Hinata stiffened in trepidation. "So there was…."

"Don't be silly. There is nooooo-Ahhh!" Sasuke never got to finish his statement when he was suddenly slammed into a nearby window. Naruto winced at the sound of weak glass breaking but luckily, Sasuke did not fall.

"Ugh, what the hell?" he groaned and tried to rub his sore head only to find out that his hand would not move. He tried desperately to move it but it would not budge. Suddenly, a sickening feeling came over his head that made him want to just scream and pound his head against the wall.

"Sas..uke?" Naruto trailed off as Sasuke's black eyes suddenly turned into black menacing pits.

Sasuke wondered why Naruto and Hinata were staring at him in panic. He did not know what was happening. Something was inside of him. And he did not like it. He watched as Naruto reached for him with a hesitant hand before his hand acted on his own and slapped it away. Sasuke's mind screamed as the intruder made his body act on his own. However, his mind continued to grow weaker. His mouth, now the intruder's mouth, opened.

"Hello there, Naruto." a voice that can only be described as screeching. Screeching like sharp nails going down glass. "Long time no see."

What? Naruto blinked in confusion. He did not know him. This person…he was definitely not a guard or knight like before. "Who…who are you?"

The voice let out what can only called a cackle. "Looks like you do not remember." 'Sasuke' stood up and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. It was a long time ago anyway. Let's start anew. Shall we, Naruto?" With that, he threw a creepy smile at the disgusted blond.

"What have you done to Prince Sasuke?" Hinata demanded in panic. 'Sasuke' scratched his head lazily.

"Um, right in front of you?" he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyway," His tone got suddenly dark and whiny. "This place is my place now. Nobody lives in it. It's big. It's damp. It's everything that I like. Besides, this dreary appearance serves as my façade for luring curious people."

"So it was you who was making all the villagers the way that they are!" Naruto accused without a doubt. The accused person let out a snort in response.

_He's a demon, Naruto._

'What?!'

_He's eyeing at you, Naruto. He wants to kill you. You know very well what he wants if he wants to kill a pipsqueak like you._

Naruto winced mentally at the truth. The demon wanted the Kyuubi's power that dwelled inside of him.

"Their minds were quite tasty, I must say. Thoughts of joy before sickened me but I knew when the reason for those thoughts of joys were rid of, those thoughts would turn into ones of grief, pain, anger, and betrayal. However, why was betrayal there; I do not know." the demon answered. Naruto gritted his teeth at the memory. The unfazed demon continued and licked his lips, "The villagers, I should say, were traumatized, making them relatively easy targets. Tch! Dumb pigs. When their minds were devoured, they were only left with regret and blankness. They should thank me. Sparing them from those dark thoughts by devouring their minds. It's quite easy to devour them actually. I take control of the victim's body and soul and slowly, their mind becomes weaker and weaker until it becomes nothing, rendering it useless." "That's wrong! Let Sasuke go, he has nothing against you!" Naruto yelled out, clenching his fists. Again, the demon clicked his tongue.

"This boy got some serious potential. Besides, his mind is definitely tasty. He holds many darker secrets than you think, Naruto. I want it."

"Who…who are you, you monster?!" Hinata yelled out in horror. "Let Sasuke go, now!"

The demon frowned in response and annoyance and waved a dismissive hand at the girl like a bothersome fly. "Annoying."

"Who are you?!" she cried out again. The demon sighed in aggravation.

"I am but a spawn of my lord, flea. That is all you need to know." he replied silkily. He turned back to Naruto and hardly had enough time to react when a blade suddenly came upon him. The demon's shoulder was sliced enough, to let out a small flow of blood. Sasuke screamed in pain. The demon took no heed to it and smirked at Naruto. The raven-haired prince felt himself fading….fading….then, slowly being lulled to sleep.

"Since this is not my real body, you are technically hurting Sasuke not me." the demon commented with an arrogant smirk. "Go figure."

"Damn you…" Naruto growled, holding his sword tightly in his grip. Sasuke might not be the most likeable person in the world but that didn't mean he deserved to die by the hands of greed.

Meanwhile, Hinata prepared to fight by unleashing her own Byakugan and was horrified at the sight. The demon's true form was far from a human. It was nothing….Air. Therefore, Narutocould never remove the demon from Sasuke's body by the force of a sword. "Naruto, this thing is…."

_Basically a ghost that can possess anyone. Let's force it out then, shall we, Naruto?_

The blond narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Meanwhile, the demon scratched Sasuke's head lazily and turned to Hinata. He smiled at her. "You're a sharp one, are you not? You own the Byakugan. Impressive. A simple-minded girl like you….yet so annoying. Watching for the safety of your prince."

"So, w-what if I am?" she stuttered boldly, clenching her fists to the side. The demon smirked at her.

"Quite unique, I must say. I know about the Byakugan. You can see anything that is within ten kilometers, am I correct?"

"Um-"

"Not only that, it can see through things." the demon continued flawlessly. Hinata had no idea what she was dealing with. Naruto widened his eyes in disbelief. Hinata's eyes could do that?

"However, there is one weakness I remember…" With that, the demon trailed off and suddenly disappeared. Hinata looked frantically and gulped in fear as a voice boomed suddenly behind her. "A blind spot here?"

With that, the demon violently slammed a finger into the back of her neck, rendering her unconscious and shocked. Naruto watched and yelled in horror as Hinata's body fell to the ground. The demon dusted the imaginary dust from his hands and turned back to Naruto. He smirked. "So, no more trouble from that troublesome flea. Shall I have your cooperation without further ado, Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at Hinata's unconscious body then back to Sasuke's possessed body. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He was clearly at a disadvantage.

_Well, Naruto?_

'If this is supposed to be a chance that you can be free, forget it.'

_Getting quite smart, are we, Naruto? And no, that's not the reason, I have to admit. That demon is going to be an annoying fly if it's left flying around here. Get rid of it._

'…Fine.' With that, Naruto focused and closed his eyes as if searching for something. Slowly, power surged through him. However, he was careful to filter his power to the point where he could control it without going crazy. He opened his eyes once more.

With the aura of an angry animal, Naruto's personality changed. "Were you searching for me, demon?"

"So, you've appeared finally. I've been waiting for you." With that, the demon smiled and ran towards Naruto with claws forming from the air to slash him. Naruto remained in his position, unfazed by the demon's breathtaking speed and put a hand out. A split second later, the hand closed with a demon's neck inside. He squeezed his neck and slammed him into a nearby wall. The wall screamed with pain and rubble fell around them.

"Are you going to release Sasuke or not? If you won't. I will force you to." Naruto threatened in a dark tone, squeezing the neck for extra good measure. The demon shakily let out a breath and clawed desperately at the death hands.

"N-Never. If you kill me, Sasuke will be killed." the demon said shakily and smirked. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Stubborn brat." With that, Naruto dragged the demon into a window and smashed his face against it. Protruding glass pierced the skin but Naruto thought that Sasuke wouldn't mind it as long as he got the demon out. The demon screamed out in pain and slowly Sasuke's eyes went back to normal. A dark wraith sifted out of Sasuke's body reluctantly and went out into the night, disappearing. Sasuke's body dropped to the floor. The red aura that once surrounded him vanished. Naruto rushed over to Hinata's side and shook her a few times. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and stared back into Naruto's blue ones. They stared at each other for a while before blushing sheepishly.

"Erm...." she trailed off, embarrassed and face crimson.

"Uh…Sasuke!" Naruto shouted nervously, trying to change the subject. Hinata nodded in agreement and the two went towards Sasuke.

The two rushed over and checked his face for any marks. Marks from the glass shown on his face but his face was cold and empty. Naruto's power settled and the blond knelt in front of Sasuke in panic. "Sasuke? Sasuke, wake up, damn it!" Slowly, color crept back up on Sasuke's face and his eyes blinked. The other two let out a deep sigh of relief. Sasuke sat up hesitantly and held his head. The feeling was gone but the pain on his face was intolerable. He held his face and groaned. He did not remember anything much besides a demon was possessing him.

"Thank god. You were almost devoured by a demon, Prince Sasuke." Hinata said in relief.

"What was….that?" Sasuke breathed out tiredly. Naruto's mind rushed for a decent response.

"Some kinda ghost, I guess."

"Ugh, it was…." Sasuke's half-lidded eyes showed that he was too tired to talk right now. Hinata sighed and beckoned Naruto over to help her carry him.

"Let's get out of this place. It's getting late, anyway." she commented with Naruto nodding in agreement.

0.o.0.o.0.

Sasuke curled up in his bed in thought. Luckily, they made it back into the castle without anyone's suspicion. His room was only lit up by a dim candle flickering in the dark. He closed his eyes but with fail, he wasn't able to go to sleep. Sighing, he made his way to the dark wooden furnished table and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out the book and began to read once more.

_In the hour of dawn, the sun's rays shall peek over the horizon, waiting for the morning call from the roosters. Like humans, mystical beings also wake up at this time. During my exploring, I came across some remnants of a half-eaten carcass. A deer, most likely. The marks on the eaten deer were nowhere near an arrow or an animal's teeth or claws. There was, however, signs of twisted claws near the throat of the deer. It appears that the deer has been strangled alive with bare hands. Or in this case, bare claws. No one, not even an animal, can't strangle a deer to death because it is one of the fastest animals in the forest. The next few days later, I saw, not something inhuman, but a human. This human was poorly dressed and was somewhat rabid. He was in the process of killing an animal, using the same strangling techniques I saw earlier. What really shocked me was that claws began to form from his hands. His eyes became from brown to crimson as if, hunting for blood. I saw, what I assume was a tail, forming from his backside. The strength that he was using was also far beyond any human. It was…inhuman. It was then when I saw my first demon holder._

Sasuke yawned in boredom. He had no idea why he was still reading this stuff. So, a demon holder? He couldn't help but think of Naruto. The way that King Sarutobi described the demon holder was almost similar to the way the blond acted before when they first clashed swords. His eye cocked in suspicion before wavering away. Naruto, a demon holder? He almost laughed at the idea. As if. It must be one of Naruto's childish antics due from being pampered by doting servants.

Finally getting drowsy, Sasuke set the book aside back into the drawer and climbed back into bed. His mind drifted away into dreams of freedom. Inside, he knew that Narutowas lying before about the demon. He knew it was a demon not a ghost. However, what he didn't know was that, his perspective on the blond was truly far off. So far off.

0.o.0.o.0.

"I-I'm sorry, my lord." a certain demon cried out pitifully, bowing to a shadowy figure in the background. A creepy voice answered the demon.

"You failed me, young one. I would've punished you for laziness but you…also gave me quite an idea for a pawn."

"My lord?"

"You are dismissed, young one. Do a better job next time." The 'lord' boomed and pointed at the demon.

"Yes, yes! My lord." the demon yelled frantically before bowing and sleeking away meekly.

In the shadows, a smirk began to form on the demon lord's lips. "Kyuubi, you have slipped from my grasp once more. However, you picked up quite a prize." He licked his lips in anticipation. "Proud as a lion. Son of the king of military expertise. Skillful with the grace of a panther. Vying for more power and freedom from the chains of the strict king. Sasuke Uchiha, you are truly an interesting person."

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I don't like this chapter. It's too…..choppy and short. The most hated thing about it? I can't think of anything to make it grow longer! -sulks in the corner.- Anyway, please review.


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